Muscle Memory
by Rayna Lissesul
Summary: Muscle memory: the process of the neuromuscular system memorizing motor skills. Synonym: neuromuscular facilitation. Layman's terms: actions that the body comes to memorize when repeated enough. After a while, things get as easy as breathing...
1. I First Impression

Hahaaaa~~!! That's right, everyone who knows me, it's a SzayelOC fic! Am I insane? Probably. But there isn't nearly enough Szayel love out there, so I decided to make some. And don't worry; I'll try to keep Szayel as in character as possible.

I must warn you, though... Well... You know those 'character death' stories? Well... this is a 'character life' story; where I keep a character that gets killed in the story-line alive because... well, yes. I'm that selfish.

Also, I would like to thank Halibel Lecter, another author on this site, for her help in proofreading this. Go read her stories! Thanks, Hal~!

Anyway, this is the first chapter of Muscle Memory; enjoy!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

My first impression? Wow.

This was amazing… -ly comfortable.

I knew something was wrong, because my last memory was of me falling asleep in my bed, and my bed was nowhere this comfortable, but I couldn't help but want to continue sleeping just a bit longer… Wherever I was was just that comfortable.

First off, it was warm. Not that kind of uncomfortable warm that leaves your skin kinda prickly with sweat, or that barely-warm warm that is just teasing the line between warm and cold, but good warm. Perfectly balanced warm. The kind of warm that your muddled mind is sure it feels just mere moments before you go to sleep.

Second, it was soft… or something that felt very close to soft. And it was everywhere; I could twist this way or that and it would still be there, as 'soft' and warm as it had been before I moved.

Third, I felt so light… And there was no pain… Usually, when I slept on my back, I woke up stiff. But this time…

The more I woke up, though, the more I realized something was wrong. No matter how comfortable I was, I couldn't ignore the fact that I wasn't laying down… In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was sitting straight up.

There was something else wrong, too… The air I was breathing felt thick. For some reason it wasn't uncomfortable, but it was too damned thick…

Thinking it was my nose, I opened my mouth and tried to inhale, only to choke on something. Something thick. Something decidedly uncomfortable. I bit down on it, choking again when I met solid resistance. Solid, plastic resistance. I had a tube shoved down my throat.

I had to force my eyes, which felt heavy as lead, open, only to find I was surrounded by some thick, pink liquid.

Yeah. This definitely wasn't my room.

Panic flooded my mind and I started to thrash, becoming more and more desperate when I saw IV lines and catheters running into various parts of my arms and legs. I ripped them out, ignoring the thin trails of blood that leaked from my skin and the various colored fluids that began to flow into the pink.

Outside the pink, a red light began to flash and a shadow passed. Free of the lines, I reached up and grabbed onto the tube going down my throat, tugging. I regretted my decision when the tube stuck fast and a burning, tugging pain erupted around my mouth, a gag reflex starting deep in my stomach and working up my throat.

Digging at the white medical tape around my mouth that held the tube in place, I ripped it off and jerked the tube out of my mouth just as I retched. Shaking my head and clamping my mouth shut, I swam up, not expecting to slam into a solid wall.

I flipped around and swam back down, towards a bright light shining up and illuminating the pink liquid. Again, solid resistance, and hot solid resistance at that; probably from the light.

Pushing off from the bottom, I swam out straight with my hands outstretched, pressing close to the glass barrier when I came to it. I tried to squint my eyes and peer out into the darkness beyond my enclosure, but there was only darkness, punctuated by the flashing red light.

This wasn't good; I was trapped and running out of air.

Just as I had flipped around and began to swim back to the tube that had been shoved down my throat, which was still pumping out bubbles of air before sucking in some pink, then pumping it out again with more like mechanical ventilation, the pink liquid around me shuddered and the space above me lightened.

I looked up, blinking and balking at the white-clad hand reaching down towards me. It only took me a second to react after balking, at which point my next action was to reach out and take the hand, which clamped down on my wrist.

My lungs, which were seriously burning at this point, gulped in air greedily when the hand jerked me up and out of the pink, and I leaned heavily over the thick glass edge of my enclosure and coughed, arms splayed out along the outside of the glass.

"Idiot." Someone grumbled nearby, "You're the first fool to actually pull out the endotracheal tube… I will give you, though, that you did have enough sense to turn back to it when you couldn't find a way out."

Were I not busy hacking and coughing, I woulda slugged the jerk.

"Wh-where…?" Was that me? That voice was too… raspy. But the pink liquid I had just been swimming around in did come out of my mouth as it was said, so I guess…

"My laboratory. Now, I suppose I'll have to take you out and hook you back up…" He trailed off, muttering to himself and sighing.

I didn't have the energy to fight off the thin hands that grabbed my arms and pulled, lifting me out of the pink stuff and dropping me onto the ground, which hurt like hell because it was grate. I could only watch as the same white glove-clad hands that had pulled me out began to remove the last few catheters that I hadn't gotten, leaving them draped over the side of the glass.

When I was picked up, I still didn't have any energy, and all I could do was let my head flop back and stare at the ceiling as I was carried down a flight of stairs, the man's shoes signaling that he was stepping off of the grate, which clanked and echoed loudly, onto solid flooring, which echoed softly as his heels clicked on it. Man, this room must be massive to echo like that…

"Who…?" Still the rasp, which I was now sure was my voice.

"Hmm?" The muscles in his arms shifted slightly as he acknowledged me, "You? Have you forgotten who you are?"

"You…"

"…Not that it really matters to a specimen such as yourself, but my name is Szayel Aporro Grantz."

I snorted. Heh, and I thought _my_ parents were vindictive.

"Do you have something to say about my name?" He asked frostily, setting me down on a table that was nearly as cold as his tone.

I shook my head, thinking. Really, I should have been in full panic-mode right now. After all, I'd woken up in a place I didn't know, floating around in a giant glass container full of pink liquid and shoved full of catheters, not to mention the 'endotracheal' tube, and I had no clue who this guy was… And damn it was cold!! Shit, I must be naked…

Sure, I was drained of all energy and unable to move, but I should have put up _some_ form of resistance, and even in my state I knew that. Oddly enough, though, it didn't bug me nearly as much as it should have.

Apparently, 'Szayel' was thinking the same thing. He took out a pen-sized flashlight and clicked it on, shining it in my eyes while pressing two fingers to my neck at the same time.

"…Shock." He put the flashlight back into his pocket and rolled his eyes, "How pathetic."

I just stared at him. In his short quest to diagnose me, he had gotten close to my face, and I, as a result, had gotten a better look at him.

"Pink…"

Szayel blinked, looking down at me, "Excuse me?"

"Pink." I rasped again, blinking, "Your hair… is pink… and what shade of yellow is that?"

"Amber." He answered flatly, twitching, "Are you done yet?"

"…You don't dye your hair, do you? It doesn't look nearly as fried as it should be if you've done it recently…"

I heard Szayel sigh and mutter "Apparently you aren't", though at least I think it was that… things were really fuzzy.

"And since you haven't done it recently, then if you _do_ dye it I'd at least see some roots… But you don't have roots. Well, do you have roots, but not the kind of roots that come from hair growing in the natural color and showing through the dyed hair… Hell, even your _eyebrows_ are pink."

"You're just going to keep going, aren't you?"

I didn't. There wasn't anything else to say… Except; "Specimen?"

Amber eyes blinked, slightly shocked at the sudden change of topic, "Pardon?"

"You said I was… a specimen?" I frowned, coughing and clearing my rasp slightly, "What did you…"

Szayel quirked a brow, "A bit slow, aren't you? I meant exactly what I said."

I glared at him, "Prick…" Part of me was still trying to understand what he meant by 'specimen'.

"If I weren't supposed to keep you alive…" Szayel hissed through clenched teeth.

"I'm cold. Gimme some clothes."

"…Demanding little thing, aren't you?"

"Little? You can't be much taller than me… Actually, that should make it all the easier for you to get me some clothes."

"What makes you think I'll be getting you _anything_?" Szayel quirked a brow.

I stared at him flatly, "I can be real annoying if I want to."

"And I can be very malicious if the situation calls for it."

"…Who told you to keep me alive?" I could have snickered at how thrown off he looked at the abrupt change of subject. It was really easy to do that to him, it seemed… "And when was I close to dying?"

"About a week ago." Szayel sighed, moving on with his examination and lifting my hand with both of his, bending my wrist and watching it closely, as if testing the joint, "It took quite a bit of work to pull you back together, but most of it was salvaging what was left of your brain."

Energy suddenly peaking a bit, I sat up and stared at him, "What is that supposed to mean?!"

He smirked wickedly, "Ah, yes, you probably don't remember, do you? Well—"

"Master Szayel Aporro! Master Szayel Aporro!!"

Szayel twitched. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he didn't like being interrupted…

Couldn't blame him, though. The little fat things that had cut him off looked rather… annoying.

"What is it Lumina? Verona?" Szayel sighed, turning and regarding the fat, bouncing things with a visible level of disdain.

"Lord Aizen said to bring the human as soon as it woke up!!"

Szayel blinked, "Ah… yes, he did, didn't he? Please, go inform him that she has, indeed, awoken. I'll get her ready…" Once the fat things had bounced away, he glanced back at me, "Looks like you'll be getting dressed after all…"

I was still reeling from the 'you've been out for a week' and the 'oh, yeah, your brain got fucked up' comments, not to mention the brief flood of energy I had suddenly slipped away, and all I could do was shift my hand under my head as I crashed back down onto the table.

"…owie…"

I _swear_ you can hear that guy roll his eyes, "Put this on."

I looked down at the article of clothing he threw at me, frowning, "I'm not wearing that."

"Oh?" He's really good at asking a question and sounding completely uninterested with the answer. Prick. "And why not?"

"It laces up the back, asshole."

"…Was that last part an insult or your problem with the gown lacing up in the back?"

"Fuck. You. And get me something else to wear or your 'Lord Aizen' might get peeved at our lateness. Preferably something that won't show my backside while I walk."

"I think I liked you better when you were anesthetized." Szayel sneered, walking out and returning a moment later, jerking the medical gown away and dumping a larger, heavier pile of clothes on me, "You weren't as voluble then."

"As?" I muttered, unable to use as much energy talking as I would have liked because I was redirecting most of it to sitting up and pulling on the clothes he had dropped on me.

"You talk in your sleep. Who is…" I looked up when he trailed off. He seemed to have changed his mind about asking the question, because he had turned away and was looking down at a clipboard.

I turned back to my task at hand, namely pulling up and trying to figure out how to tie this damned hakama… Honestly, who wears these anymore!? And who wears them this short?! It was then it hit me.

I glanced at Szayel, "Why am I wearing your clothes?"

"You refused to wear the only other garments I have available. And my lab is not a storehouse for clothes. I don't have the time to argue with you, so if you don't want to wear the surgical gown, then your only other option is a set of my clothes."

After staring at the back of his head for a moment, I pulled on the gloves, followed by the jacket. "Where am I?" My thumbs slipped through the holes in the sleeves of the jacket. "And what happened to me? Is this a hospital?"

"…" Szayel sighed and turned to me, his face blank. "Everything will be explained soon enough."

As I was quick to learn, Szayel doesn't lie. And, sometimes, I wish he did.

"HOLY SHIT!!" I jumped as soon as the doors closed behind us. I wasn't looking at the throne or the weird man sitting on top of it. No, I was staring at the tall dude with the long hair and the huge, spoon-shaped hood. I pointed, eyes wide, "It's you!! You're the… the…" I frowned, my memory failing me.

Oh, I knew him, alright. I just didn't remember were… or why. I knew I should, and I knew the reason was monumentally important to my life, but… I just didn't remember…

He, though, did. Tall, dark and spoony sneered, "The bitch actually survived? Fuck, you're hard to kill…"

"Hey, screw you, fucknut!!" I glared at him, flipping him the bird, "You ever come at me with that weed whacker again and I'll shove it pole first up your ass!" Now I remembered… a bit. The bastard came at me with a giant thresher.

"This is the girl, Nnoitra?" A calm, mildly amused voice made my need to scream at spoon-head die. I looked up on the throne, wincing at the piercing brown eyes and smile that waited to greet me. "This is the girl who saw you without trouble?"

"Yeah…" Spoony answered, still glaring at me, "That's her… bitch saw me right off the bat. No doubt in her mind."

"I see…" Throne man continued to stare at me, and I couldn't help but stare back, "Szayel? What are the results?"

"Beyond dramatically heightened spiritual awareness, nothing." I jumped, having forgotten that Szayel was still standing right beside me. "Slightly abnormal immune system, somewhat poor eyesight…" When I glared at him, he smirked slightly, "Above average development in the muscles of the thighs and forelegs as far as human specs go, severely lacking in upper body musculature development—"

"You want my bra size, too, jackass?" I growled at him.

His glasses flashed, but I swear he glanced at me as he said, his smirk growing a bit more, "Thirty-six inches. Over bust."

I gapped at him, and several people began laughing. When I swiped at him, Szayel just took a step back. When I kicked at him, though, I nailed him good. Right on his inner thigh.

"Perverted pink bastard!!"

Szayel stumbled a few steps to the side, then straightened and walked back, barely managing to conceal a limp, and resumed his position, coughing slightly and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, as I was saying, above average development in the muscles of the thighs and forelegs…"

"But that's all? No interesting reports beyond 'dramatically heightened spiritual awareness' and a few leg muscles?"

I glanced at throne man, who wasn't looking at me anymore. I'd lost his interest. And something told me that that wasn't good.

"…No, Lord Aizen. Nothing."

Throne man looked back at me, blinking. He wasn't smiling anymore. Oh, yeah. I was screwed.

"Well, then I see no reason to continue to allow her to live. Nnoitra? Would you like to pick up where you left off?"

I balked as tall, dark and spoony grinned, turning and walking towards me. I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out, so I closed it again. Whoa, whoa, kill me?! Just who the hell did this bastard think he—

My mind drew a blank as that crescent blade rose again, and my body reacted in a way that felt familiar, but I couldn't remember why for anything. A lost memory… something only my body remembered….

And something my body reacted to.

As the blade swung down, my legs acted and moved me back and out of the arc. The blade crashed to the ground, splitting the material of the right tabi and sandal Szayel had provided me with, right between my first and second toes.

The metal was cool against my skin… but no tissue had been torn. He'd missed.

Nnoitra saw this and smirked, "You're movin' the same as last time… You dodged me three times then. I wonder how many you'll make it this TIME!!" At the last word, he raised the blade again and swung.

My body reacted, again, and I tensed, waiting to—

"Hold, Nnoitra." When the attack stopped halfway and the wielder turned back to throne man, Aizen was looking at Szayel, "I believe Szayel has something to say…"


	2. II Changes Made

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Speak, Szayel Aporro."

Szayel, who hadn't moved from his place beside me, inclined his head, "Sir… it's just… having the girl in my lab, at my disposal, has proven… useful. As I said, she has an unusual immune system, and she's been able to adapt readily to several of the experiments you allowed me to perform on her… I humbly request that you turn her over to me."

If I hadn't been too focused on the blade that was still hovering over me and the sense of crushing pressure that was near stopping my lungs from all of these intimidating people around me, I well might have turned to Szayel and flung my arms around his neck. That, and he really was a wormy little prick.

Still, he was a wormy little prick who was, apparently, trying to save me, so I wouldn't voice my opinion of him…. for now.

"…Is it to be my understanding, Szayel, that you are requesting ownership of this human?"

"Yes."

…'Ownership'? …Alright, so I wouldn't express my opinion of him around the others. As soon as we got back to the lab, though? Oh, yeah. I was letting him have it. …Assuming there _was_ going to be a 'we' going back to the lab.

"Very well."

I nearly fell over.

"Sir?"

"She is yours, Szayel. However, I would like it to be clear that you are to keep her under control. I do not want to hear of her wreaking havoc within my Las Noches. If anything is destroyed, anyone compromised, or if she escapes, it is on your head."

There was _seriously_ something wrong in this place… Still, like I was about to run from the one person here who seemed interested in saving me. So, when Szayel 'claimed' me, I said nothing.

"Alright, girl, let's—"

I couldn't explain what happened. One minute, Szayel was beside me, his hand reaching out to, presumably, grab my shoulder. The next, though, there was a jolt and my vision seemed to split.

When things were normal again, I was sitting on the ground five feet away with my mouth opened in a silent scream.

Szayel stared down at me in shock, Nnoitra had a brow quirked and the room was silent.

Clamping my mouth shut and blinking, I jumped back to my feet, wincing at the throbbing pain that had suddenly taken up residence in the back of my head, and walked back to Szayel, standing behind him slightly and looking ahead as if nothing happened.

"….Alright, well, we'll just be going now." Szayel bowed, "Lord Aizen." While he was bowing, his glasses flashed in a way that made me think he was throwing me a look.

A look to… perhaps… What? I stared at him, then jumped and bowed, "Ah…"

Szayel rolled his eyes and several people chuckled.

"Looks like you got your work cut out trainin' your new experiment, Szayel…" Nnoitra grinned, looking me up and down, "Or should I say your little _pet_?"

Had Szayel not just gone through the trouble of saving me, I woulda flipped the prick off.

"I mean, what the fuck else are we supposed to assume when the bitch's wearin' your clothes?" Nnoitra went on, his grin widening as he leaned in closer to my face. "Well, there's really only one thing we can guess; you've slept with her." He glanced at Szayel, his already impossibly large grin widening, "That's why you're savin' her, too, right? To make her your little sex experiment?"

I couldn't tell if Szayel was as pissed as I was; the guy was pretty good at keeping a poker face.

I, however, was close to kicking this dude in the groin… The only thing that was saving him was his height and that damned thresher on his back.

However, that didn't stop my voice. "Hey, Old McSpoony, shut your ever grinning trap and go shove your thresher up you're a—" I was cut off as Szayel slapped a hand over my mouth, speaking over my muffled protests.

"As I said, sir, we'll be going now. Good day." He kept his hand over my mouth even as he dragged me out the door, which was a good thing, because I was still screaming obscenities at the still smirking Nnoitra.

Once the doors had closed, Szayel abruptly removed his hand from my mouth and glared at me, hissing, "Follow me and I won't make your punishment more severe than it already is." He then turned on his heel and stormed off down the hall.

I stared at his back, brow quirked high. How stupid did he think I was? After what I'd seen, heard, and gone though? Follow him? "Yeah… right." I turned and took off in the opposite direction.

I didn't make it ten feet when someone grabbed my arm and wrenched it around, pressing it against my back while another arm wrapped around my throat and pressed down hard, cutting off my air supply.

"You're only making things worse for yourself." Szayel hissed in my ear as I gasped and writhed, "Follow me." Here, he twisted my arm sharply and I gasped when I not only felt, but heard, something grind. "Understand?"

I nodded, falling to my knees and coughing when he let me go.

"…You'll have to forgive me." Szayel sighed, still standing right behind me, "I'm usually not this violent, but what happened at the meeting just now… irked me." He sighed again and grabbed my elbow, jerking me up and turning me down the hall, "This way, please."

I watched him walk down the hall, wondering just how he had managed to catch up to me so quickly, then followed warily, watching his back and rubbing my arm.

Apparently, pinky had some PMS issues…

"Hey…" When he twitched slightly, I went on, "Why did you save me?"

Szayel paused for half a second and slowed, waiting for me to catch up before walking on, "I didn't want to get blood on my uniform."

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, please, don't tell me you're that vai—" I glanced over at him and stopped, blinking.

He had picked up a section of his pink hair and was scrutinizing each strand closely, as if looking for split ends.

…Never mind. He was that vain. I rolled my eyes again and sighed, completely convinced that he had saved me to save his precious uniform.

"Were you saying something?" Szayel muttered, still inspecting his hair.

"No." I rolled my eyes and looked ahead, "Nothing… Where am I?"

"Las Noches in Hueco Mundo."

"…Soooooo… It's some kind of… Spanish mafia in Japan?"

"Hardly." Szayel rolled his eyes, "You're in the afterlife."

* * *

I stared at Szayel listlessly from inside my glass tube prison as he moved around the lab, checking on experiments and writing things down on clipboards in his frilly lettering.

He'd explained everything, stripped me, and shoved me back in this damned suspension cylinder, shutting the top and leaving me no choice but to float around naked with an air tube shoved down my throat.

Bastard didn't even have the decency to drug me… No, I had to fight back a gag reflex every now and then. At least he'd drained and cleaned the liquid… unfortunately, he kept it pink.

Still, pink suspension liquid was the least of my worries.

According to Szayel, I was in the afterlife… or, at least, where the demons went in the afterlife.

This world was Hueco Mundo, and then there was the Soul Society, where everyone usually went when they died.

Szayel said that I wasn't dead; apparently, Nnoitra had nearly killed me when he found out I could see him, then thought it over and brought me back to be brought before 'Lord Aizen'. Apparently, being able to see someone of 'as high a rank as Nnoitra' without trouble was impressive for a 'human'… whatever all that meant.

Whatever they'd been expecting, though, they clearly hadn't found in me… Which was why I as stuck as Szayel's lab rat.

What that would amount to, I was afraid to know—

"GYA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!"

…He had one damned creepy laugh.

I winced when the liquid around me shuddered, looking up and swimming towards the light.

"Ah, there you are!" Szayel said brightly as soon as I surfaced, grabbing the endotracheal tube and ripping it out of my mouth, tape and all, "Just the guinea pig I wanted to see!"

After I had finished retching over the side of the tube, I glared at Szayel and coughed, "Y-you bastard!"

"Quite, quite." Szayel said distractedly, still cheery as he dragged me out of the suspension and dropped me onto the grate platform. "Now, let's get to work!! I have this wonderful new experiment that you would be _perfect_ for."

…As a random side note, my mind noted that Szayel, who was naturally… well, what can I say? Pretty. Anyway, he looked even more radiant in the blue glow of the lab lights.

…Awww, fuck, he put something in the suspension liquid.

And no, that's not just an excuse.

I suddenly felt very dizzy.

"Ah, yes, the chlordiazepoxide is finally showing its side effects…" Szayel turned back to me and flashed his little flashlight over my eyes again. "Feeling dizzy? Drowsy? Confused? You aren't on your menses, are you? If you are, any irregularities?"

"You've never had a girlfriend, have you?"

"Irrelevant at the moment." Szayel brushed me off, his happy little high never leaving as he handed me a pill, "Take this."

I stared at it. "….Why?"

He just continued grinning, "Take it!"

"…Do you smoke opium?"

"Take the pill."

He wasn't smiling anymore. If I didn't want to get shot up with more of that chlor-whatever that made me think he was handsome, I figured I should take the pill. And, frankly, I didn't want to think he was handsome any more.

I popped the pill and stared at him, waiting.

Szayel smirked, "You actually took it…"

I felt my eyes nearly pop out of my head, "WHAT DOES IT DO?!"

His smirk only widened, "Just wait and see…" With that, he took me by the elbow and led me to a giant machine made of really shiny chrome. "Look." He ordered, pointing to the reflective surface.

I complied, my eyes widening

My hair had just finished turning pink, my eyes amber, and my face was slowly beginning to change…

"SZAYEL, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!"

"Perfected you." Szayel answered, grinning as I fell to my knees and clutched my face.

Beneath my fingers I felt the bones shift, my skin sizzling and popping and _burning_ intensely. I let out a long scream, the sound of which gradually began to change.

When it was over I collapsed and lay still on the floor, panting heavily.

"Y-you son… of a…"

"Hmm…" Szayel stared down at me, frowning, "Perhaps a bit more effeminate than I had intended, but since I won't be getting any more humans any time soon… It will have to do."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" My voice was lower than before… not manly low, but still lower.

"I made you my double." Szayel answered simply, reaching down and grabbing my collar, pulling me up, "Now, in the event that I ever actually have to battle, I can send you in, first."

"…What?"

Szayel sighed, "I don't much care for fighting. It's so…" He wrinkled his nose, "Animalistic. So, I've been working on an experiment that will change the appearance and alter the abilities of another so that they might act as my double and pass to some level of acceptability for me in battle. Of course, I needed a non-Arrancar to accomplish this goal, and you're one of the few non-Arrancar here. And, as you already said, we are rather close to the same height… not to mention our similar builds…"

I stared at him for a moment longer, then turned to face the chrome surface again.

There, staring back at me, was a pale, nervous, and thunderstruck Szayel, another Szayel standing behind him, this one cool, smirking, and otherwise exuding Szayel-ness. Admittedly, the scared Szayel was pretty effeminate and the smirking one rather masculine, but they were still both so similar… and one of them was me…

"…You bastard."

"Yes, I don't quite use that sort of language." Szayel sighed, "So you'd best work on—"

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" I turned and flung myself at him, wrapping my man-hands (thin ones, yes, but certainly not _my_ hands) around his scrawny little neck and barreled him to the ground.

Rather than fight back, though, Szayel just lay there and let me choke and shake him. Though he did fend off the few punches I threw at his face, he otherwise waited for my exhaustion to kick back in, at which point I slumped down against his chest, crying weakly.

When he was sure I wasn't getting back up, Szayel sat up and grabbed my shoulders, giving an exasperated and annoyed sigh as he said, "_Please_ refrain from treating my body like that. I don't much appreciate it."

I was silent as he picked me up, holding me a bit gentler than all of the other times, and carried me to a table. "…Hey, Szayel?"

"Hmm?" He barely spared me a glance as he proceeded to strip me to look the body over.

"If I have a penis… I'm killing you." With that, I promptly passed out.


	3. III Submission

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"So…" Illforte looked between Szayel and I, grinning, "How do you tell one another apart?"

I promptly flipped him off.

"…Ah." Illforte blinked, "So that's how…"

"Quite…" Szayel threw a glare at me over his shoulder, "Aporro, please refrain from doing things I wouldn't do."

"Fuck you, Szayel. And my name is not Aporro. That's your middle name… My name is—"

"No longer your own." Szayel muttered, returning to the task of healing his brother, "Now, please, had me the silver tube on the fourth shelf from the right…"

I quirked a brow, wondering why he was getting those 'observer parasites' to put into his brother, but didn't ask. I didn't care. More correctly, I cared less for Illforte than I did Szayel. Illforte was a rather perverted bastard, especially about my situation.

"So," He'd smirked when he'd met me, "Does she still have her—"

Not really caring to hear the end of his sentence, I'd kicked him in the groin. Szayel, rather than scold me for acting 'un-Szayel like', had only smirked.

Unfortunately, this didn't deter Illforte for very long, and he soon got into the habit of asking me whenever he saw me if I still had my feminine parts.

Not that I was about too tell him, but I was rather grateful I did. Szayel, though, did have this weird serum that made me flat chested for battle situations… And though the fact that he did creeped me out a bit, I was more concerned with Illforte's fascination with finding out whether I had a vagina or not.

Seriously; incest, much?

"Aporro? The tube?"

I growled, handing his precious tube over. Another thing Szayel had taken to doing; calling me by his middle name. I kept trying to tell him my name was… whatever it was, but he never let me finish the sentence.

Not that it would matter if he did. If you couldn't tell, I can't remember. Still, I knew 'Aporro' wasn't it, so I stuck with starting the same sentence over and over, and never getting the chance to finish it. Whatever. At least I was honoring my name, even if I didn't know what it was.

Now, then, other than Illforte, no one else knew that I had become Szayel's doppelganger. Which meant I never left the lab… not that I cared. I didn't want to leave, anyway. Unfortunately, it did mean that I had to hide whenever someone who wasn't Illforte came into the lab, and there was really only one room that was really off-limits to even Lord Aizen, who probably wouldn't want to go there, anyway.

Yes, that meant I had rather intimate knowledge of Szayel's room. And no, it wasn't something I was proud of; it smelled like his shampoo.

Did you know he made his own shampoo? I swear, that man is more girly than I ever was, even back when I was a human female.

…It was thoughts like those that severed as a constant reminder that I wasn't a normal human female anymore. I was the prized doppelganger of Szayel Aporro Grantz. And, being such an important experiment left me rather… vulnerable.

"Aporro, are you listeni—"

I jumped and screamed when Szayel set a hand on my shoulder, flipping around and kicking him in the hip.

"Damn it, Szayel, what have I told you about walking up behind me?!" Once again, I had just barely managed to keep myself from flying several feet away and jarring to a halt.

I had a weakness. A weakness Szayel could never know about. Because, if he knew that his battle doppelganger had a weakness, said battle doppelganger (being me) would be… terminated.

I had a severe blind spot on the backside of my right-hand peripheral vision. Anything that went beyond a certain point simply vanished, and if anything interacted with the right side of my body within the range of that blind spot, my mind overloaded and panicked.

Szayel growled, glaring at me and rubbing his hip, "Aporro, get over your issue with being approached from behind, and quick."

I stared after Szayel, waiting until he turned the corner to collapse into paralyzing seizures. Szayel could never know. I'd been here long enough to see what happened to obsolete or faulty experiments, and I didn't want to end up like them. _Szayel could never know_…

Which meant I had to cover that blind spot, and well. Especially when I was forced by Szayel to practice swords.

Fortunately, I was able to cover up my right blind spot with yet another issue.

"You're kidding…" I'd rolled my eyes the first day Szayel had dragged me into his training space, "You're telling me you didn't notice I was right handed?!"

Szayel sighed irritably and stared at my right hand, which was holding the practice sword he'd thrown at me.

His own sword was in his left hand.

"C'mon, Szayel! You're supposed to be a scientist! Scientists are master observers, and you _never noticed_ I was right handed?!"

"Switch hands." Szayel growled, glaring at me.

I rolled my eyes, but did as he said anyway. When it felt awkward, I promptly switched back.

"Keep it in your left hand!"

"Why?! So I can get my ass kicked?! Hell no! I'm right handed, Szayel, not left!"

"Then practice holding it with your left hand! And get used to it!"

"Screw you!!"

In a bout of vindictiveness, Szayel had numbed my entire right arm for a spell and tied it behind my back, forcing me to start learning to do everything with my left.

It was a real bitch.

Fortunately, though, it gave me a reason to start flipping my bangs to the right side, which was the side Szayel wore his on, anyway. It also gave me an excuse for my blind spot. So, unless for some odd reason Szayel decided to change his hairstyle (which I highly doubted, anyway; in his opinion, it was perfect), I was covered… for now.

Once my convulsions had stopped, I stood and slumped off to Szayel's room. I didn't much care to sleep on my cot at the moment, and I was too valuable to Szayel to kill, or even kick the ass of. Plus, I was pained, severely, and doubted I would feel anything he did to me, anyway. I needed a nap…

Slumping into Szayel's room, I flopped down at the foot of his massive bed and curled up, staring at the lock of pink hair that had fallen in front of my face.

'Why… why pink of all colors?'

My thoughts rambled like that, senselessly, for a few moments, until I was asleep… only to be woken what seemed to be seconds later by an angry growl.

"Aporro… Get out of my room."

Not much caring to argue with him, I tried to get up… only to slump back over. I pushed myself up again, then sighed when I met the mattress. Four times more before Szayel got the idea. I wasn't moving. I looked up at him pathetically.

"What is wrong with you…" Szayel muttered, leaning over and getting a closer look at me.

I stared back at him, listless. When he poked me, I winced.

Szayel frowned, "Did you get hurt?"

"No…" I sighed, closing my eyes, "I just don't feel well."

"Impossible. I used my own DNA in the doppelganger mixture; you cannot get sick."

"Fine, I'm not sick." I curled up into a tighter ball, "Doesn't mean I'm not not feeling well…"

"…Double negatives? That's low, even for your speech patterns…" Szayel blinked, "You're really sick, aren't you?"

I just hummed and nestled down against the comforter, hoping he'd leave me alone.

Of course, being Szayel, he wouldn't. He wasn't satisfied until he had drawn some blood and run a few tests, walking in thirty minutes later looking over several long sheets of paper.

"Hormone levels are normal… no blood abnormalities, glucose is balanced…" Szayel frowned, "There's nothing wrong with you on a cellular level… and you aren't sick…"

"Ever take my 'brain problems' into consideration there, doc?" Technically, I wasn't lying. The pain was caused by the convulsions, which were caused by issues in my brain. Certainly nothing his blood tests would be able to trace.

"…True." Szayel blinked, "Have you ever had problems like this before?"

"No." I whimpered, covering my eyes with an arm, "Now, please, just shut up…"

Oddly enough, he listened and fell silent. Way silent. Too silent.

I lifted my arm to look at him, blinking. He was gone. After a moment, I rolled onto my stomach and crawled up further onto the bed, slipping under the comforter when I reached the pillows and curling up there.

Much as I hated to sleep where Szayel had, the lights in the room weren't helping my head, and I was cold. And, since Szayel had walked out without ordering me to leave, I figured it was fine. After all, I was a replica of _precious_, _perfect_ old _him_, and he couldn't stand to see anything of him suffering.

Part of the reason he went out of his way sometimes to keep his Fraccion happy, actually. Like that one time Lumina had gone and gotten himself split into two by a lesser Arrancar. Verona had moaned and wailed, but before she'd even had time to start really crying, Szayel had made her another one.

Or like how he spent the extra energy to 'perfect' his little carbon-copies that Fornicaras made when he felt the originals weren't 'aesthetically suitable'.

For the cruel, heartless bastard Szayel was, anything that was somehow part of him was never allowed to suffer… or be anything less than perfect.

At some point or another I ended up falling asleep again, and when I woke it was to a painful pinch in my arm; one I had become all too familiar with during my however long stay I had been in Las Noches.

"Damn it, Szayel…" I muttered, "No experiments now…"

"I'm aware of that." I heard him mutter back, "This isn't for an experiment. It's to make sure you sleep. Chlordiazepoxide in a lower dose than before as a muscle relaxer and a sleep aid. You're of no use to me if you're ill. Now, I need to know where the pain is localized."

"Everywhere." I turned away when he drew back with the needle, "Now go away…"

"It would be better if you went back into the suspension tank." Szayel sighed, picking me up and rolling his eyes in exasperation when I groaned, "Quit complaining; your DNA has been altered and mixed with perfection, you should have a heightened pain tolerance."

"You're not perfect, prick… Otherwise your hair wouldn't be pink…"

"Must you always resort to that?"

"Did you have to make me your female counterpart?"

Szayel sighed again and walked up the grate staircase that wound around the back half of the suspension tank, setting me down on the platform on top and starting to remove my clothes.

"What're you—"

"You need as much skin contact with the liquid as you can get in order for it to heal you to as great an extent as it can." Szayel said impatiently, picking me up and shouting, "Lumina! Verona!"

I winced, then grumbled when four creepy little hands latched onto me and held me up, supporting me as Szayel untied my hakama.

"You know, I've been wondering about something for a while now…" When Szayel glanced up at me, I quirked a brow, "Are you that objective, or are you a closet pervert?" When Szayel stared at me flatly, I snickered.

I knew in the back of my mind that the chlordiazepoxide was kicking in; otherwise I'd be kicking Szayel in the groin like I usually did when he drugged and stripped me to put me into the tube.

Really, I was just teasing him; Szayel was completely impartial about nudity, and if he studied me at all it was only because he was comparing our similarities…

…Oh, fuck. The damned chlordiazepoxide was screwing with my head again.

That, and Szayel was _waaay_ too pretty.

"Hey, doc, dope me up with something else from now on, alright?" I muttered as he lowered me into the tank, "That chlordia-whatever messes with my head too much…"

"Well, I'll admit, I have been pumping it into you at dangerous levels… I'll find a substitute." With that, he shoved the endotracheal tube down my throat, pulling a laryngoscope out of his pocket and easing the airway open.

I was instantly glad the muscle relaxer was so strong; otherwise I would have had the gag reflex from hell.

"Now," He pushed me away from the edge, "Sink down and let the life support take over. Fight, and I'll have to put you completely under."

I rolled my eyes, sinking into the suspension and letting my lids close.

He was so lucky he was pretty…

* * *

It was official. I was off of the chlordiazepoxide.

For the first time in a while, my mind was clear and I had my strength back.

"GYYYYAAAAAAAA…!!" I raised my arms high and bent back, grinning when my back popped rancorously. "Ooooo, that hits the spot…"

"That's not good for your back, you know…"

I turned towards the languid voice, giving a grin I knew the owner would be proud of, "Perfection doesn't have to worry about weakened joints." When he quirked a brow, my grin widened, "Like looking in a mirror, Szayel?"

"Not even close." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "We're going to have to work on that…"

"Like hell."

He looked up at me, blinking, "Pardon?"

"Szayel," My grin faded, "You were lucky I went along for as long as I did, but not anymore. That chlordiazepoxide isn't in my system, screwing around with my head anymore. I'm conscious, and I'm done playing."

Szayel quirked a brow, "You do, at least, remember who you're talking to, correct?"

"All I really know is that you're Szayel Aporro Grantz, man eight of ten of a group called the 'Espada', some gibberish about Las Noches being some sort of purgatory, and that you did something to me to make me look like you. I don't really care about the rest; you're going to have to make one convincing argument to get me to continue this chara—"

Within a flash, Szayel was standing before me, the sword that usually lay untouched at his side, Fornicaras, drawn, blade sitting lazily on my neck.

"Mere millimeters of skin separates your internal jugular vein from the air. If sliced properly, you would be dead in moments, though the pain would be so great to your mind that it would seem like hours." Szayel leaned forward, muttering into my ear, "And, as I'm sure you know all too well, I'm very good at performing surgery. Tell me, girl, are you ready to die?"

No. No, I wasn't.

"I thought my name was Aporro?"

Szayel smirked. "Good girl, Aporro."

When I was done being a coward, Szayel was getting his ass kicked.


	4. IV Accepting a New Reality

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Sip, Fornicaras…"

I watched, fixed in morbid fascination as Szayel slowly shoved Fornicaras down his throat, sickened but unable to look away, even when his tongue slipped out of his mouth and curled around the blade.

When he started glowing and making those weird moaning noises, I looked away and gagged.

"Well?" He asked when he was done, smirking when I turned back towards him. "How does it feel to look upon perfection?"

I couldn't help it. I smirked, "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say 'perfection' never gets laid."

Szayel frowned, "I beg your pardon?"

I fell over, laughing, "Szayel, you have no idea how gay your Resurreccion makes you look, do you?!"

He twitched, "And just what does my release form have to do with others view of my sexual orientation?"

"Szayel," I slapped my forehead, "You shove a sword down your throat while saying 'Sip'. Your zanpakuto's name means 'you will fornicate' in Spanish, if you go with the rest of the motif for this place. AND HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH WHILE YOU'RE TRANSFORMING?! You sound like you're having sex!! Plus… dude…" I stood and held out my arms, grinning, "You're wearing a dress and you have pretty wings comin' out of your back."

Szayel's pallid face had gradually gotten redder and redder as I was talking, and when I finished he slumped forward, letting out something crossed between a sigh and a groan.

Oh, yeah. If he didn't get it before, he sure as hell did now. I made sure of that.

It also probably didn't help that the observation came from his doppelganger… albeit, a much less eloquent one with female endowments, but his doppelganger nonetheless.

"Regardless," Szayel muttered, still slumping, "Should the time actually come when you will need to take my place in battle, it's best you know what I look like when I'm fighting…" He waved me off, "You can go, now."

"Oh, c'mon, Szayel, don't act so sullen…" When he continued to slump, I shuffled towards him, "Szaaaaaaay? C'moooooon…"

"Go away, insect…"

I sighed, then sang, "I know some-thing that will make you ha-ppy!"

He looked up, blinking slowly, "Do you, now?"

"Quite!" Smiling, I waved to the door, signaling for Lumina and Verona to come in, "They tried to catch you on your way in here, but you were too busy going on about Fornicaras to pay attention, so I told them to wait until after the demonstration."

"Did you, now?" Szayel glanced at me, turning his body to face his two Fraccion.

I shrugged, "They're pretty stupid, you know. They listen to me on certain things just because I look like you…"

"Master Szayel Aporro, Master Szayel Aporro!" Lumina and Verona chimed, holding out a roll of paper, "Illforte died!"

Szayel blinked, "He did?!" He took the paper, looking it over and letting it unroll.

Sighing, I stopped the roll when it reached my foot, "Yep. Apparently fighting something your system called a 'Bankai user'. These are the results of your little spy parasites you put in him that one time."

"A Bankai user?!" Szayel grinned, scanning the results quickly and cackling.

"Oh, great." I muttered, rolling my eyes as Lumina and Verona backed away from him in fear, standing on either side of me, "He's going into his jolly crazy mode. Let's just back out slowly…" With that, the two Fraccion and I began to slowly walk backwards, heading for the door.

"Oh, my, Aporro, where _ever_ do you think you're going?" Szayel grinned at me, one of his wings stretching out and wrapping around my shoulders from the left side, dragging me back to him.

"You… uh… just dismissed me…" I muttered, leaning back as much as I could when he leaned in close to my face, his grin widening.

Man, did that makeup/tattoo make him look stunning…

"Oh, but that was before I got these results." Szayel smirked, the purple lipstick-like marking on his upper lip stretching with the skin in a way no real lipstick could, "This changes things…" WHY DID LIPSTICK SUDDENLY LOOK HOT ON A MALE?!

"O-oh, really?" Damn, those new glasses were an improvement, too! Oh, God, I could feel my face heating up… Fuckin' hormones…

"Quite." Szayel wrapped an arm around my shoulders and let the wing slip away, leering down at me, "You see, now that I have these results, I can begin preparing your enhancements to enable you to fight shinigami in my stead."

"Thaaaat's nice." I wiggled, trying to slip away, "Wait, enhancements? I swear, Szayel, if that means testosterone…"

"Testosterone? Oh, dear me, no." Szayel's leer widened, "If I did that, I could ruin you for future experiments."

I blinked, suddenly forgetting my position, "Eh?"

"Think about it…" Szayel quirked a brow, "When we defeat the Seireitei, there will be no further need for you to act as my battle doppelganger. You'll strictly be an experiment. And what are female experimental specimens often used for in laboratories?"

Oh, fuck. I didn't want to know the answer… Please, whatever god was listening, _please_ don't let him answer his own question!!

"Breeding purposes, my dear Aporro. Breeding."

Whatever god was listening hated me.

* * *

I laid back on my cot, staring at the ceiling blankly.

Breeding? Honestly?! BREEDING?!

And right after I'd been thinking about how ho— …I wasn't even going to finish that.

Damn it, at this rate I might as well kill myself!

…Actually, that wasn't a half bad idea.

Sitting up, I glanced over at the sword Szayel had given me for practice. It was the same length and weight as Fornicaras, and it had an actual blade.

Something about me 'needing to get used to carrying an actual sword'. Not that he intended for me to actually _use_ Fornicaras in battle; hell no, it wouldn't work. Even I got that. But I still had to carry it. Until I was in an actual combat situation, though, I had this sword.

This sword…

Picking it up, I carried it back with me and flopped down on my bed, staring at the ceiling and holding the sword close to my chest.

I had to think about this carefully… Was it actually worth it to die? Was my situation really so bad?

Let's see… I'd had my name and most of my memories destroyed, I was prisoner in a world of demons, my caretaker was a mad scientist who had complete hold of my life and was using me as his personal body double, going so far as to use his mad science skills to change me physically so that I was a female version of him, and who was also planning on using me for breeding experiments if I didn't die.

I had no clear idea if I was going home, my life was constantly in danger because of my greatest weakness, the blind spot, and chances were by the time all of this was over and my usefulness ran out, I was going to be killed, anyway.

…Yeah, my situation was that bad.

Sighing shakily, I drew the sword, continuing to stare at the ceiling as I pressed it to my throat, right where Szayel had once pressed Fornicaras.

Somewhere beneath the skin was my internal jugular… 'Dead in moments', Szayel had said. 'Painful', yes, but he'd also said my transformation had given me heightened pain tolerance.

Just a few moments of pain and it would all be over…

Taking a deep breath, I pressed down, and when I felt my skin sting as the blade slipped in all too easily, I realized something.

I wasn't ready. I didn't want to die.

The blade really did slip in too easily… I hadn't realized how sharp it was until it was in me!

Panicking, I tore the blade out of my neck and threw it away from myself, sitting up and pressing a hand to the gash just as the door opened, Szayel standing there, staring at me blankly.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to go through it… I just didn't know you'd be stupid enough to try."

"Sz-Szayel!"

Growling, Szayel stormed forward and grabbed my free arm, jerking me to my feet and dragging me out and through the lab quickly.

I didn't bother to struggle when he dragged me to his room, stumbling after him when he stormed into his bathroom and yelping when he pushed me down into the tub.

Flinching, I covered my eyes when the near-blinding overhead lights flashed on, then screamed when rough hands seized my collar and forced my head under the faucet. Cold water gushed down on my face and a hand swiped at the gash on my neck, then the water was turned off.

"Pieced your external jugular… Shit!" Then he was gone and I was alone, laying back and staring at the white ceiling above me.

Everything in this place was so damned white… It made the flecks of red on the tub walls on either side of me stand out all the more.

As I lay back in the tub, arms bunched up against my chest and legs splayed out, I listened to the sound of liquid running down the drain. The water faucet above me was off and wasn't dripping, I could see that, and something hot was running down my neck…

Shuddering, I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it. Tried not to think about how cold I was getting, and how my neck hurt in pulsing intervals, in time with the heart I could hear beating in my ears.

This wasn't good…

When a shadow crossed over me, I opened my eyes, whimpering when I saw a silhouette ringed in pink. "Szayel… I don't want to die."

Szayel groaned, "Please don't start with that pathetic begging nonsense. I've poured too much time and energy into working on you; you're not about to die. Now, don't struggle. I don't have time to administer painkillers." With that, he shoved a thick roll of cloth into my mouth and took to my neck with sutures.

I could feel my eyes wanting to pop out of my head and the burning pain that pierced the side of my neck.

Panicking, I spat the cloth out and started to claw at Szayel's arms, flashes of Nnoitra coming back, his great curved blade held over my head and flashing down and oh, God, I didn't want that, had to fight, had to fight back, I didn't want to taste that blade again, didn't want to taste my own blood or the metal, had to get him off, had to push him away, had to fight back and—

"Stop that!"

I blinked, eyes widening when I remembered it wasn't Nnoitra over me, but Szayel, and he wasn't trying to kill me. He was trying to save me.

"Calm. Down." Szayel said slowly from his place on top of me, "You're making yourself lose massive amounts of blood…"

Dimly, I wondered how he had gotten from sitting outside the tub to sitting on my stomach, but I also didn't care much at the moment. I was freezing, and he was warm. I was bleeding to death, and he was trying to sew up my neck.

It hurt, and he didn't care, but I was going to live…

That was all that mattered to both of us right now. We had a common goal.

"Good." Szayel muttered, continuing his process, "Just stay still and don't fight… Shit, this is the last time I operate on you when you're not sedated."

"Sorry…"

"Don't talk." He snapped, "And not only am I taking that sword away, you won't have your own room anymore. I'll have to work out another system."

When he was done, Szayel stepped out of the tub and grabbed my wrist, jerking me up.

I stumbled out of the tub after him, leaning against him when my legs were too weak to support me, only to have a hand grab my throat, injury aside, and slam me into the wall.

"Listen to me carefully," Szayel began in a dangerously calm voice, amber eyes boring into mine as if he could see right through me, "You. Are. Mine. Your life is no longer your own; it belongs to me. You are my experiment, you are my toy. You will do what I say when I say it, and I will not have you question me or there will be severe consequences. It's about time you understood and accepted the fact that you are no longer a sentient being in my eyes; you are a tool by which I will make my ends. That's all that matters. I decide when you die, not you. Do you understand?"

"I-I do…"

He tightened his grip, "What was that? What do you call me?"

"I do… Master…" I rasped, clawing at his hand, the side of my neck burning painfully, "Please… Master Szayel, I understand. Please… let me go." The hand released me and I fell to the ground, clamping both hands over the stitched gash on my neck and heaving slightly at the blood that quickly coated my hands, pasting the gloves down like a second skin.

Szayel's legs were all I could see in front of me for a moment, and then I was staring at the ceiling, Szayel's deadpanned face in one corner of my vision and the feel of his arms on my back.

"Let's take care of that before it scars… You're of no used to me if you're not as near an exact replica as you can get, never mind the femininity issu—"

When his arm shifted against my right shoulder, out of my peripheral vision and where my blind spot ended, my mind flooded with panic and I screamed, flailing.

"What are you—?!" I think Szayel saw the raw panic that was in my eyes, and how it wasn't really directed at him, because when he set me down on a table in his lab, he leaned in close to my face and locked eyes with me, not letting me look away, "I have had enough of this so far unexplained and irrational dislike of having your back, particularly on the right hand side, touched. Explain. Now."

"Blind spot, Master." I rasped, wincing as my arms convulsed and pressed against my chest painfully, "I… I think when Nnoitra attacked me it… did something to my head. I have a blind spot…"

"Brain damage." Szayel hissed, leaning back and looking down at me seriously and scrutinizing me, "You really are very useless, aren't you?"

I stared up at him, my mind going fuzzy and the edges of my vision clouding over, "Szayel… I don't wanna die…"

"We've already been over this, haven't we?" Szayel's voice echoed in my head as my vision faded and my body went numb.

"That's not up to you."


	5. V Payback

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

When I woke again, from Szayel's explanations of things, I'd expected to be in the Soul Society.

He would have killed me… Should have killed me by his own nature. I was useless. I was faulty. I had a major weakness, and I was too much of a hassle to deal with on a constant basis.

Still, oddly enough, when I woke I wasn't surrounded by hoards of people. No, I was still in a familiar white room with familiar white walls, laying back on a table with straps holding me down and a pair of glasses resting on my face.

I was wearing a uniform I recognized the fit of, only instead of being soaked in blood and water like it had been last time, it was warm and clean.

I was still alive, still in Szayel's lab, still presumably human, and no longer in pain.

Szayel hadn't killed me… For whatever reason, he had decided to keep me as his double, it seemed.

"Ah, I see you're awake…"

I twitched, glancing and watching quietly as Szayel walked up, holding a thin slip of something shiny and silver.

"That's good." He fitted the silver slip around my neck like a necklace, fastening it, "I was starting to wonder if you were going comatose…"

"…Master?"

"Just think of it as a… behavioral control band."

"…A shock collar?"

Szayel just smirked.

Even considering the context, it was good to see him smirk like that again. It meant he was trying to brush off what had happened.

"I've fixed your hindrance." Szayel said suddenly, adjusting the collar and slipping it under the collar of my jacket, "And removed all of the blemishes. You are now scar free, and the brain damage should be lessened dramatically." Once the collar had clicked, comfortably tight around my neck, he released the straps holding me down on the table and backed away a step as I sat up, reaching around to my right shoulder.

I flinched out of habit, then flinched even more when his hand disappeared. When I felt him lay his hand on my shoulder, though, nothing happened. I blinked, shocked. No convulsions, no flooding panic, no pain, no headaches.

He hadn't taken away the blindness, but he had taken away the epilepsy.

"Ah." Szayel nodded, "Good." He drew back, turning to a nearby stand and picking up a clipboard, scribbling away.

I stared at his back, "…Master?"

"You seem to have slipped into that rather easily…" Szayel observed distractedly.

"…Why am I alive?"

Szayel sighed, setting the clipboard down and pinching the bridge of his nose, "Because I've already put too much time, energy, and solvents into keeping you alive and training you. I don't have time anymore to redevelop the doppelganger serum, convince Lord Aizen again to allow me to keep another human, teach another possibly right-handed being to be ambidextrous, or get the Fraccion used to yet another reiatsu signature, not to mention everything else I'd have to do. Had I caught the problem earlier, perhaps. But not now."

"…I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize." He muttered, picking up the clipboard again and continuing his scribbling, "The instinct linked with survival is basic among all living creatures of the human world, bipeds included. Disgustingly base as it is, it is still a fact. Do refrain, though, from keeping important information like that from me in the future."

I shifted slightly, pushing the new glasses back up the bridge of my nose when they slipped, "So… I'm still your double?"

"Yes. You are." He glanced at me, "Though I will be developing some serums and treatments in the future to make you more battle worthy, you are still my double." He sighed, turning back to his work, "Can't risk you developing an immunity to anything or ruining you for future experiments to start with the treatments now and make them continuous and permanent, so we'll stick with keeping you human and female for now."

"…Thank you…"

"For what? You're a tool. A tool doesn't thank; it stays content with being used."

"…What are actions punishable by use of the shock collar?"

"Swearing." Szayel started immediately, making me think he'd been waiting for the question, "Purposely acting too unlike me when we are in a situation that requires you to do the opposite. Acting up. Disobeying direct orders…" He glanced at me, eyes narrowing, "Suicide attempts…"

I winced, looking down at my gloved hands. They were so thin and fragile-looking… like his hands, only more slender. I wasn't much of a double, really… More made in his image, than anything.

"…Don't look down."

I looked up at him, blinking.

Szayel quirked a brow, "Do I strike you as the kind of person who bows in shame to anyone, Aporro? There are three people in this castle you show meekness to, and that's Lord Aizen and his two men, Sirs Gin and Tosen, and even then it should show some level of mockery."

I wasn't sure if he was aware of the fact that, in a roundabout way, he was telling me to not feel guilty about and forget what I had done… But then again, how couldn't he? Szayel was a genius, and he rarely said something he hadn't thought about. He would be aware of any and all implications that could be derived from anything he said…

"Now, then, as for your new sleeping arrangements…"

* * *

"…Hell. No." I jumped, yelping when a slight shock surged through my body.

"No swearing."

"Szayel, this is ridiculous. What happened to that 'you don't bow to anyone' shit?!" I was shocked again, this one stronger.

"No swearing."

"SZAYEL, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?! I AM NOT FUCKI—"

"Swearing and disobeying a direct order. Two items on the 'no' list."

An even bigger surge of electricity followed, knocking me over onto a large oval pillow on the floor. Right next to Szayel's bed.

Standing over me, Szayel looked down and smirked, "Ah, good. You're using your bed."

I stared up at him bluntly, "Szayel, I am not sleeping here. This is a dog bed."

"No." He grinned, "It's an Aporro bed."

"I'm not sleeping here."

"You are. Only my Fraccion, you, and myself occupy my laboratories, and I don't trust either of the former to perform the task of keeping you out of trouble. Thus, all that is left is I. A simple process of elimination, really; something I considered to be well within your comprehension…" He quirked a bow, "Don't tell me I was wrong, Aporro?"

I glared at him, "I am not sleeping at your bedside on a dog mat, Szayel."

"So, we're slipping out of the 'Master' title now, are we?" His tone, though, hinted he didn't care either way.

"…I really have to sleep here, don't I?"

"Slow on the uptake, aren't you?"

"Prick."

A pause, then a shock, only a very low voltage one.

"I don't use words like 'prick', though when it's only you and I, please use moderation. Now, then, it is rather late so… bedtime, Aporro."

I turned away and buried my face in the oversized pillow as he started to strip. Szayel really was too impartial about nudity… When the bed next to me groaned softly, I flipped back around and stared at the ceiling, remaining on my dog bed. This was so damned degrading…

"Goodnight, Aporro." Szayel chuckled.

"Fuck you, Szayel."

The collar shocked me.

* * *

I stared at Szayel's lunch, smirking. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I slipped a bottle out of my pocket and upended it over his drink.

Before Illforte had died, I had gotten him to bring me a special liquid… basically, the Las Noches equivalent of Everclear. 190 proof. Unlike most alcohol in the human world, which is distilled to shit, this stuff was a neutral grain spirit, and at this level it was almost ninety-five percent alcohol. Pure. Alcohol.

Of course, I couldn't give it to him straight; first off, he'd be able to tell if he tasted straight alcohol, and second it might kill his precious liver, which probably had never had a drop of alcohol in its existence. The real problem was getting it to him…

I was in luck, though.

Once every week, Szayel made a concoction to go with his Monday lunch; a special mix to keep his immune system up to par. It was never the same in amounts or ingredients, and thus he never knew what it would taste like. He wouldn't know it was alcoholic if it came up and introduced itself.

Payback time.

He was gonna get it for the dog bed.

I was gonna get Szayel drunk off his ass.

Of course, getting this close to Szayel's food hadn't been an easy chore; the only way I had been able to get him to walk away from his food was to mess a bit with one of his experiments way on the other side of the lab, making a few alarms go off when its homeostasis readings went off.

As soon as he was gone, I had snuck up to his tray, and here I was, upending a cup and a half of neutral spirit into his half-finished meds. Hopefully he'd be too flustered to notice the change in amount…

When I heard Szayel storming back, grumbling, I slipped out of the room and down the hall, content with waiting in on my doggie bed for the results.

I didn't have to wait long.

Before I knew it, Lumina and Verona were bouncing into the room, "Master Aporro! Master Aporro!!"

I looked up from my lazy recline on the ground, barely holding back a grin, "Yes, Lumina? Verona?"

"S-something is wrong with Master Szayel Aporro!" Lumina cried, crouching and latching onto my leg.

"Please, do something!" Verona wailed after, doing the same with my arm.

Sighing in mock exasperation, I stood and followed the two Fraccion, grinning when they had their backs turned to me.

What they led me to, though, was something I hadn't expected.

For some reason or another, Szayel had released Fornicaras, and was stumbling around his lab, looking at this and that with hazy eyes.

From the stories I'd heard, 190 proof alcohol was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. But that was by human standards. Szayel wasn't a human, though, so I expected him moderately intoxicated, at the least. Yeah, I said 'drunk off his ass', but to release Fornicaras…

That was just overkill.

Lumina and Verona backed off slowly, while I walked forward, just as slowly, and cautiously.

"Szayel?"

He turned on me quickly, making me jump.

"You…" He muttered, locking eyes with me and walking towards me shakily, "You'rrrre me… only you have breastsss…"

"Didn't know you dwelled on that, but yes." I nodded, "You call me Aporro, remember? I sleep on a large pillow on the floor by your bed, and I'm your doppelganger…" I took another step towards him, "Szayel, are you feeling alright?"

"Perfectly clear…." He answered, sounding temporarily levelheaded as he stood straight. Immediately after, though, he slumped forward, holding up one hand and tilting it back and forth, shrugging, "Iff a liddle muddled… I think this week's barch of concokshun turnd out wrrrrong…"

"…Szayel, maybe you should go to bed." Watching this wasn't fun any more. The real fun would start tomorrow, when he had a hangover from hell. This, though… It was kinda making me feel bad.

Which wasn't what I wanted to do.

I wanted to make him pay.

And, in the morning, he would pay.

For now, though, I would help him back to his bed. Besides… not like I really had a choice after he'd stumbled over to me at the mention of 'bed' and flung his arms around my neck, leaning against me heavily.

"Whoa!" I buckled slightly under the weight, "Easy there, buddy…" When he snored right in my ear, I twitched. "Lumina, Verona, get over here and grab a leg…"

The two rotund Fraccion responded immediately, stumbling forward and grabbing one of Szayel's legs, each.

"And mind his wings," I muttered, starting my backwards walk to his room, "He'll be peeved enough when he wakes up; don't give him a reason to kill you."

Shuffling, stumbling, and generally bumbling down the hall, we carried Szayel to his room, Lumina and Verona doing what they could with his legs and me with my arms wrapped under his and around his back, his chin on my shoulder and his mouth opened in a loud snore near my ear.

Note to self, never get Szayel drunk again. He snores. Really, really loudly.

Kicking my 'bed' aside, I ordered Lumina to let go of Szayel's left leg and get on the large bed to pull up Szayel's right wing, at which point Verona and I hefted the scientist onto his bed. Unfortunately, I ended up right beside him, his arms still wrapped around my neck.

Rolling my eyes when he let out another loud, ripping snore, I wiggled away from Szayel and stood, brushing myself off and straightening my hair.

"…Master Aporro?"

I turned to the two Fraccion, who were looking at the ground and shuffling their feet, "Something wrong?"

"…Master Szayel Aporro has a meeting today… He can't miss it… He'll get in big trouble if he misses it…"

"…Nyaw, cripes…" I muttered, crossing my arms irritably and grumbling, "Do I gotta?!"

"Master Aporro, you have to!" The two chimed, "That's what Master Szayel Aporro made you for!"

"No, he made me to be his double in combat situations. This isn't combat…" I sighed, "Though I suppose it is close enough…" Biting my lip, I looked at the two and winced, "Take me to where Szayel keeps all of the experiments he has regarding me. I need to see if he still has that chest-flattening shit."


	6. VI Being Male Sucks

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Go figure I would have to learn from firsthand experience that being male is a rather uncomfortable thing… Though I suppose I only felt that way because I had grown up female. Even if it was only temporary, I didn't much like suddenly being a few pounds lighter on my chest, nor did I much care for the power suddenly pulsating through my body, giving me an aura that near crushed me, even though it was, technically, mine.

As it turned out, Szayel had done more than just made me a serum that flattened my chest. He'd also made several enhancing serums that greatly exaggerated my spiritual pressure and disguised it as his, and a serum that lowered my voice even more than the doppelganger pill already had. I was just glad he hadn't made one that affected my… eh-hem, _lower_ regions…

Lumina and Verona, being two of Szayel's closer working Fraccion, had known exactly where to find everything, and exactly where to administer it and in what amounts.

A large flare of energy as we were about to leave the lab brought our attention back to Szayel, and when we made it back to the room, we found that he had slipped out of his Fornicaras transformation and was regular old pinky again, his blade laying beside him.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to wake him, I sighed and untied Fornicaras from his waist, affixing it to my own, turning to Lumina and Verona for approval.

Judging by their reactions, which were to jump up and down and cheer, I took it I was close enough. Hopefully, none of the Espada or Lord Aizen would notice. If they did, though, I was already working on a story about how Szayel was working on a new experiment and that I was his guinea pig.

Not a lie and not the full truth. Something told me Szayel didn't want his superiors knowing I was his battle stand-in.

After Lumina and Verona had guided me partway to the meeting place, I caught sight of a few others I somewhat recognized, including Nnoitra, and followed them, leaving the two Fraccion to taper off and wait in a dark hall to help me find my way back to the lab when I came back…

If I came back.

I had a feeling this was going to backfire, and horribly.

I only hoped my death would be quick… and not at the hands of Nnoitra.

When the group of nine of the ten gathered in front of one door in particular, I stood back and avoided any looks that were thrown at me or any attempts at conversation.

The large, old man with the crown mask was particularly hard to avoid… and understand. I just stuck to looking ahead and nodding slightly every now and then. I think he was going on about Metamucil…

The one I was most worried about, though, was the really, really big guy with the ridges of skin on his head, the black sideburns, orange eyebrows and the extra jaw of bone over his jaw.

He didn't look too bright, but he just kept staring at me, like he knew something was wrong.

When I jumped when the door opened suddenly, of its own accord, he furrowed his brow.

I threw him a Szayel brow-quirk, then walked through the door after the others, taking the seat Lumina and Verona had told me to quietly, hoping no one would tap my shoulder and demand to know why I was in their seat.

No one did, but my situation was worse than that, anyway. The big guy was two seats to my right, the old guy was directly on my right hand side, and Nnoitra was right across from me.

"You're quiet today, Szayel." The old man observed, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye and making all other smaller side conversation cease, "Something wrong?"

…At least, I think that's what he said. I wasn't too sure. His heavy, old accent and slight drooling problem kept getting in the way.

When I just stared at him, trying to gather my thoughts, Nnoitra scoffed across from me and rolled his eyes, sneering at me when I glanced at him, "Don't fuckin' bother, Barragan. You know Szayel won't do more than throw you his damned 'I'm superior' look when you aren't wearing your dentures."

Had glaring at and flipping Nnoitra off been something Szayel would have done, I would have done it. Gladly. But, considering it wasn't, I just stared at Nnoitra flatly and sighed, "Really, Nnoitra, must you start so early on in the meeting? Can't you save your limited vocabulary for when you might actually have something to say that's worth listening to?"

Considering the shocked look Nnoitra gave me, not to mention the glances I got, I may have laid it on a bit thick, but it did shut Nnoitra up for the moment, so I considered it a success.

"Now, now, my dear Espada." We all turned as one towards the voice, greeted by the visage of the apparently ever-grinning Lord Aizen, "Let's not quarrel. We have only a few minor topics to discuss, and then you can all get back to your duties."

He walked in, two more shinigami, the silver-haired one being Gin Ichimaru and the one with long cornrows being Kaname Tosen, from what Szayel told me, walking in behind him.

"Before we begin, though." Aizen smiled as he sat, "Let us have some tea."

I had to use all of my self control to fight the very strong urge to fall over.

TEA?! An evil organization, and the first item on their agenda was TEA?! This was just ridiculous…

Still, when the female tea serving Arrancar set down the tall cup and saucer before me and I inhaled, I couldn't deny that it smelled delicious.

Along with everyone else, I picked up my cup and took a sip, barely holding back a moan. It _was_ delicious! For an evil dictator, Aizen had good taste in tea.

"Now, for the first item of business…"

I proceeded to listen and not understand a damned thing they were talking about, amazed that all of these people were listening and not taking any notes whatsoever. Didn't people normally take notes during meetings? Wasn't there supposed to be someone taking the minutes?

Vaguely, I wondered it they had a treasurer…

"—Also, the human girl, Orihime Inoue, has been brought here, thanks to the efforts of Ulquiorra. Once again, the wheels are in motion… Szayel."

Again, barely holding back a jump, I nodded, "Sir…"

"Might your human be spared to help Ulquiorra settle in Inoue? We must keep her as comfortable as possible."

Trying to be as Szayel-like as possible, I nodded, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose, "Yes, Lord Aizen, of cour—"

"You're not Szayel!"

I twitched, turning to face the accusing finger pointed at me. It was none other than large, dull and ridge-y, the one who had been staring at me oddly all evening.

"I beg your pardon?" I blinked.

He growled, glaring and standing, his index finger still pointing straight at me, "I said you're not Szayel!"

From behind me, someone scoffed, "Yammy, shut up so we can get on with the meeting. It's pretty damn obvious that he is—"

"Not Szayel."

I turned slowly to face the other guy sitting beside me, who was staring down at me with focused yellow eyes.

"I have been sitting next to Szayel for some time, now, and I know his patterns of movement and speech, not to mention his reiatsu. This person follows each of them closely… but not nearly enough to be perfect."

Oh, shit. I was fucked.

It wasn't long before several assenting murmurs began to circle the table, one man blinking his eyes open and frowning, "You're all too slow…"

"Why didn't you say something earlier, Stark?!"

"Because Lord Aizen would have said something if he cared…." The man glanced at me.

Swallowing, I turned back to Aizen, who was smiling at me, and smiled back, sheepishly, "Eh-heh… Sorry… can my death be quick, please?"

Aizen's smile just widened slightly, "What do you mean, girl? If I wanted you dead for this, you would already be so."

"Ohh, that's comforting." I sighed, my head reeling as I downed some more tea, "I am so overdosing on acetone when I get back to the lab…"

There were a few snickers around the table.

"Please, refrain from doing so." Aizen chuckled, his smile never fading when I looked back at him, "I was serious when I was asking if you would be able to go help Ulquiorra with Orihime Inoue."

"Oh… Uh, right, yeah, I'd be glad to." I blinked.

"Good." Aizen nodded, "I will ask Szayel again, later… Now, I must ask, where is Szayel Aporro?"

I shrugged, "Dunno. Probably off somewhere judging my shoddy performance and deciding on my punishment." Man, lying came too easily…

"Ahh, yes." Aizen chuckled again, "That does sound like him… You may go, now."

"Right." I nodded, standing and bowing. "I apologize profusely for intruding on your meeting, Lord Aizen, under the false pretenses that I did. It was not my intention to insult." That said, I turned and fled as quickly as I could, blinking and smiling back when Gin threw me a grin.

"Oh, and girl?"

I paused, turning back and bowing, "Yes, sir?"

Then, I was brought to my knees by a great, crushing pain that enveloped my whole being in a time too quick for my mind to measure. It was instantaneous; one minute I was on my feet and bowing, the next I was on my hands and knees, screaming.

I thought I was being ripped in two…

Then, it stopped, and I slumped forward onto the ground as Aizen's voice went on, just as calm and kind as before, "Do not ever think that you can fool me again. Ever."

I would have said or done anything, though it probably would have been along the lines of a servile affirmation, at this point, but I was too busy fighting bile to stay down my throat and air into my lungs and, god, trying to see again, because what I saw before my eyes, whatever it was, wasn't making any sense…

"I think ya went too far, Lord Aizen." Nnoitra chuckled, "Bitch can't move…"

Aizen chuckled, "Perhaps… Oh, my, I never realized just how fragile humans are…"

Somehow, by some will I didn't know I had in me, obeying some command I didn't remember but my muscles sure as hell did, I scrambled to my feet and bowed.

Then, I remembered what Szayel said, "_There are three people in this castle you show meekness to, and that's Lord Aizen and his two men, Sirs Gin and Tosen, and even then it should show some level of mockery._"

"Yes, of course, Lord Aizen." I found myself saying over my gasping, able to hear Szayel's mocking tone echoing in my words even in my state, "I assure you, it won't happen again."

The room was silent.

Without waiting further, I turned and continued my earlier fleeing.

Outside the meeting room, once the doors had closed, I turned and took off down the hall I came, unable to stop myself from screaming when Lumina and Verona popped out of nowhere and tackled me.

"Master Aporro, you're alive!!"

"Yes, yes, now get off of me!!" I flailed, punching where I could, "And get me back to the lab! I want to be long gone before anyone else comes around!"

Nodding, the little Fraccion completely misinterpreted my intention and picked me up, running down the halls with me and depositing me on the floor as soon as we were back in the lab.

"Thanks," I grumbled, standing and brushing myself off.

When they started chattering like little squirrels and I realized I had nothing else to do, I sighed and made my way back to Szayel's room, removing Fornicaras from my side as I did.

I was just walking through his bedroom door when the aftershock of Aizen's spiritual pressure hit, and while flinging Fornicaras towards Szayel's bed with more than just a little reckless abandon, I tore for his bathroom at the same time, barely having time to lift the toilet seat.

A few minutes after I'd started, a pair of fumbling hands pulled back my hair and I managed to look over my shoulder during the break my stomach had decided to take, nearly groaning when a still pretty hammered Szayel met my eyes.

"Don' emesis in my hair…"

I didn't have time to answer when I had to turn back to the porcelain god. Really, it was all rather ironic. He was the drunk one, but I was the one having my hair held back as I upchucked.

When my stomach was completely empty and my gag reflex had stopped trying to tap dance, I took the sterile toothbrush Szayel blearily shoved into my hands, ripping the plastic wrap off and squirting some of the grey gunk in the medicine cabinet onto the bristles.

One thorough scrubbing later, I turned to find Szayel still standing behind me, leaning against the wall and staring at me.

"…Yer mammary glands are gone…"

"No. My breasts, in general, are gone. I had to use that shit you made…" I twitched when the collar tingled. "Where do you keep the trigger for this thing, jeez…" I rubbed my neck.

"Righ' here." Szayel muttered, holding up his right hand and pointing to his palm, "See?"

There was nothing there but gloved palm.

"Ah… no, I—iiiiiiiiiype!!" When Szayel poked his palm, I was electrocuted. Not as bad as I had been before, but enough to startle me. "Damn it, what did I—" He poked his palm again.

"No shwearing…" Szayel muttered, glaring at me.

"You said it was alr—" I stopped, sighing when I realized I was trying to reason with a drunk person. "You know what? Never mind. Let's just get you back to bed."

Szayel nodded, "Bed sounds good." With that, he slumped forward and threw his arms around my neck, hanging from me heavily.

Note to self, never get Szayel drunk again; he's real freakin' heavy.

"Szayel," I muttered, poking his side, "Quit hanging from Aporro…" Still, I found myself dutifully dragging his lazy carcass out of the bathroom and to his bed.

"Aporro…" Szayel muttered back, poking _my_ side, "Quit bein' insubordinate…"

"Or what? You'll hang from my neck? Sorry, sir, but you're already doing that, and I'm still being pretty rebellious, here…"

My only answer was a snore.

I twitched. Szayel had fallen asleep on me again… Lazy drunk prick.

Sighing, I dragged Szayel over to his bed and tossed him onto it, only to have him fall short of my desired target of the middle of the bed as my neck jerked, Szayel's arms still clamped around me and jerking me down.

I sighed heavily against his shoulder, struggling, "Szayeeeeeel…"

He just snored louder, his grip never relenting.

Shifting, I punched his gut lightly. "Szayel."

He snorted, then went on snoring.

Oh, yeah, charming. Pinky was just _radiant_ now… Actually, as I shifted off of him, laying beside him with no choice but to stare into his face, he did look rather cute in his drunken sleep, hair mussed and cheeks slightly red… Alright, scratch cute. He looked absolutely adorable.

Fuckin' hormones. Making me think things like this about this heartless bastard… That, and the knock to the head Aizen had given me probably hadn't helped. It had definitely made me tired, if nothing else.

After struggling against Szayel's drunken Espada grip of doom for some time, nearly an hour, I think, I finally gave up.

"You _so_ cannot get mad at me for this…" So long as he didn't find out I'd spiked his medicine, that is.

Keeping as much distance between us as possible (which wasn't much considering his hold of my neck), I finally gave in and let my still sore body get the rest it needed, hoping I would wake up before Szayel, and hoping again that if I did he wouldn't still be clinging to me.


	7. VII Flirt

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Unfortunately, as we all know, things don't always go the way we hope. When I woke up again, not only were Szayel's arms still around my neck, but he was just beginning to stir, as well.

His eyes opened shortly after mine, and when they did, he froze.

I twitched, "Before you even think that this is my fau—"

And then he was gone, the bathroom door flung open and the sound of retching coming from inside.

Sighing, I stood and walked in after him, not all that shocked to find myself pulling his hair back like he had done for me last night.

Unlike me, though, he wasn't particularly receptive.

"G-get the fuck away." Szayel hissed over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

I could easily see, in that look, the demon that he once had been, but I could also see that he wasn't as animalistic as he once had been, even if in this moment he looked like he could, if but for a moment, reach that level of viciousness again.

Now, though, wasn't the time.

Eyes still narrowed when I didn't let go of his hair, Szayel turned back to the toilet and continued to upchuck.

"Kill me later, if you want." I muttered, "Remember, my life isn't mine. However, for now, let the tool do her job, alright?"

My only answer was another loud retch.

For all he was, for all he'd done to me, for all he had promised to do, I couldn't stand to see him like this.

I'd thought my childish payback would make me feel better, but it didn't. Watching the once proud Szayel like this… It felt…

Sighing, I knelt and rubbed his back, ignoring him when he made a weak swipe at me.

"It's alright, Szay…"

"S-shut up." He growled, glaring at me out of the corner of his eye, "Just shut up and get out."

"I'm not doing this to be patronizing, Szayel… I just want to help. Honestly."

"'Help' by getting out, then."

I backed away and let go of his hair as he stood, studying his face closely. He was pale, still a bit green, and clammy. But, he wasn't kneeling and barfing, so that was an improvement.

"Ugh…" He rubbed his forehead, wincing, "What in… My head is throbbing… Yesterday's tonic…"

I shrugged, "Can't expect them to leave you hale and hearty every time, can you?" Guess who was lying again? Aporro was! Still, it was much better than the alternative; telling the truth.

There was a good chance that, under normal circumstances, Szayel would have been able to tell I was lying, anyway. I mean, come on, this was Szayel we're talking about! Still, after losing his stomach and currently suffering from a probably pounding headache, he probably wasn't exactly looking for treachery, at the moment… Not that I was complaining.

"Out." Szayel waved me off, "I'm fine. Leave."

"Fine… But, uh…" I rubbed the back of my head, sheepish. It was an issue that needed to be discussed, but I wasn't exactly comfortable doing it…

Szayel quirked a brow, a tired and exasperated sigh escaping his lips, "What is it now, Aporro?"

"I need a shower."

Szayel blinked, "Ah."

Before, it hadn't really needed to be discussed; I'd had one in the room he had put me in, it had been fully stocked, and I had used it on a regular basis. Now, though… Well, I'd been waiting for Szayel's guard to be down to ask. Now seemed like a 'guard down' time.

Szayel, impartial as ever, shrugged, "Use mine when I'm finished in here. Now, out."

Rubbing the back of my head still, I turned and walked out.

Why this struck me as not only an issue, but one for embarrassment, I don't know, but it annoyed me that it reddened my face.

I flopped down on my pillow, actually glad to be back in it, and relaxed. I didn't relax for long, though. A second later, Szayel ran in.

I blinked when he stood over me, eyes wide and panting.

"I had a meeting yesterday!"

I blinked, "Yes, you did."

"What happened?! Did someone come for me?! Did one of the Fraccion talk to them?! Did you?! …WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"Whoa, Szayel, cool it." I shrugged, "I went to the meeting in your place."

"…You did what?"

"After you passed out, Lumina and Verona panicked and had me use all that shit you've been preparing for me. I used the voice adjusting one, the chest-flattening one, and the reiatsu enhancing one, and I went in your place, posing as you."

Previously, I thought it had been possible for Szayel to get paler than he already was, both by natural skin tone and by his current condition. When he got even whiter, however, and leaned against his bedpost, I blinked.

"…Did it work?"

I shrugged, "For about the first three-quarters, yeah. It seemed like no one really noticed, and for the most part they didn't."

"…Who?"

"Lord Aizen knew right off, I think, and so did the one called Stark. Yammy, though, was the one who said something."

Szayel quirked a brow, "Yammy?"

I nodded, "Yep. He'd been staring at me all evening, and while I was accepting a task Aizen had for you, he interrupted me and shouted 'You're not Szayel'."

"…Task?" Szayel sat down on his bed, face drawn, "What happened…?"

I sighed and told him everything, including Aizen's subsequent attack after the fact. "He'll probably be summoning you soon…"

Again, Szayel paled, nearly falling over.

"…Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" I shrugged, wincing, "Other than some tenderness in my chest and my muscles feeling a bit exhausted, I'm fine."

Szayel nodded, his glasses flashing slightly as he thought, "The pain in your chest is probably from the serum wearing off…" When I looked down at my no longer flat chest, he asked, "How does your throat feel? You sound an octave or so low…"

"Yeah, I feel fine." I was still staring at my chest, trying to make sure it wasn't too much bigger or smaller than it had been. "No pain. Though I do feel a bit heavier…"

"That would be the reiatsu enhancements wearing off…" Szayel jumped to his feet, running a hand through his hair. "Now, I have work to pick up on and an excuse to plan… Stay here and don't get into any trouble. I don't have time for you today."

Hearing this kind of stung, but I didn't say anything as Szayel ran into his bathroom, emerging a second later with a toothbrush in his mouth and his jacket unzipped, one arm out as he pulled another out of his closet as he ran past it and out the door.

"Well… Note to self, never get Szayel drunk again. He doesn't have time for my shenanigans…" And now I felt lonely.

…I needed a shower.

* * *

"Aporro, what is this?"

I barely glanced up from the book I was reading. "It's your shampoo, emptied, with a note saying 'Pomegranates suck' written on the bottle."

"…And why is my shampoo in this condition?"

"Because pomegranates suck." I turned the page. "Why you want to smell like pomegranates is beyond me."

"…So, because you don't like pomegranates, you emptied out my shampoo and defaced my bottle?"

"Yep." I read the text on the page carefully. It was really quite interesting…

"…What scent would you prefer?"

"…Aloe."

"Fine. I'll make you your own so long as you don't empty out mine in the future."

I looked up at him slowly, quirking a brow, "Very accommodating of you. What do you want?"

"Hmm?" Szayel blinked, not meeting my eyes but rather staring at my hands, "My apologies… I'm just trying to get over the shock of seeing you actually read."

"…You think I can't read?"

"It wasn't expected. Especially not that text."

"Well, you hardly have a fiction section sitting around here." I shrugged, turning back to the book, "And considering I've already taken Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, and I couldn't pronounce the names of half of the other books you had, I figured medical texts would be interesting enough."

"…Do you mind if I ask what you're reading about?"

"…The side effects of chlordiazepoxide."

Turns out, chlordiazepoxide can actually increase your sex drive. I was ready to fully blame that for my initial attraction to Szayel, but I was still trying to find a way to justify the continued attraction… After all, in the strongest of doses, it only had a thirty hour half-life. It had been way more than thirty hours since the last time I'd had any chlordiazepoxide…

"Why would you want to research that?"

"None of your concern, Szayel."

"…Though I must compliment you on the fine wording that I, myself, would probably use, I……You know what? Never mind. Research what you will."

I stared at him again, "Szayel, are you feeling alright?"

"…We'll be heading to Ulquiorra's soon to help him with his human…"

Ah. So that's what it was. They way he had muttered this made me feel like he didn't want the other Espada to see me… Or he just didn't want to go out in public, period. "…What is it with you Arrancar males and human females?" I rolled my eyes, turning back to the book.

"You've already agreed." Szayel sighed, "Lord Aizen just needed to confirm it with me."

"Cool." Huh, so chlordiazepoxide really could cause problems with a woman's menses…

"Aporro!" Szayel jerked the book out of my hands, glaring down at me, "Pay attention!"

I groaned, "Fine, fine, what?!"

"We're going! Now! Get up!"

I stared at him, twitching. If he wasn't debasing me, rewriting my genetic code, slapping a dog collar on my neck and making me sleep on a doggie mat, or slicing me up with his damned sword practice, he was bossing me around.

And, like he said, I didn't have to stand for it.

After all, I was his stand in and he didn't stand my shit, right? So why should I have to stand his?

Screw this. Two could play the psychological game, and I had the upper hand. Szayel loved himself. A lot. He was a narcissist. First and foremost, though, he was male. And males had urges…

All I had to do was combine his narcissism and his urges. Not like I cared. I had nothing to lose anymore.

"Oh, alright, alright." I sighed, standing and running a hand through my hair and flipping it out, placing the other on my hip. I threw him a pout, "Honestly, Szayel, you're so mean…"

Szayel blinked.

Holding back a smirk, I sauntered over to him and stood as close as possible without actually touching him, leaning forward and murmuring into his ear, "You should be nicer to me… You might like it when I'm nicer to you…" My chest touched his.

Szayel stood stationary, frozen and tense.

Smirking because I knew he couldn't see it, I walked around him, making sure to brush up against his arm, the back of my hand grazing his hip.

If gazes could burn, I'd have had two holes in me as I walked out of the room.

Oh, yeah.

Take that, you damned sexy narcissistic bastard.

…Shit, I said sexy, didn't I?


	8. VIII Inhuman

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"So, what's this girl's name again?" I asked Szayel, bored, as we walked down the hall.

When he didn't answer, I nearly giggled.

Szayel hadn't spoken a word to me since I had "hit" on him, even going so far as to avoid looking at me.

Now, had Szayel not liked what had happened, I would have known right away; he would have thrown me against the wall and told me to never do it again.

Then again, if he had flat out enjoyed it, well… Szayel was the kind of person who saw something he liked and took it.

Of course, I would have killed myself or tried to kill him before I let him do that, but regardless…

I'm pretty sure I had confused Szayel.

And, even if it was a monumentally bad idea to tease Szayel… SCORE FOR APORRO!! WOOT!!

"Szaaaaaaay…" I veered a bit closer to him, leaning forward and trying to get him to meet my eyes, "What's her name?"

"…Inoue, Orihime…" Szayel muttered, still looking straight ahead and tensing slightly.

"And the name of the Espada in charge of her care?" I got a bit closer.

He continued staring ahead, though he did scoot away a bit, "…Ulquiorra Schiffer…"

I quirked a brow, "Who names you all, anyway?"

"We instinctually know our names at birth."

"And it never crosses your mind that you should lie and say something a bit more… normal? Like Bob? Kenji? John?"

A muscle in his jaw spasmed. "I happen to like my name."

"Hey, never said you didn't have a nice name." I shrugged, holding up my hands and veering away a bit, "Just a thought…" When the tenseness in his shoulders faded slightly, I waited a second more before sidling back up to him, smiling, "Besides… 'Szayel' is a very nice name… Very smooth and it slips off the tongue so nicely…"

The muscle twitched again.

Oh, GOD, was he fun to screw with!! Seriously, you could almost see the war waging in his eyes between whether he wants to let me keep going or to push me away… I KNEW he had hormones in there, somewhere!!

…Narcissistic perv.

"So," I started, resuming a healthy distance between us and clasping my hands behind my back, "Just what am I supposed to do, exactly?"

Relaxing, Szayel shrugged, "You're a human. Feel her out, find out where she's uncomfortable and try to help make her feel better."

"Ah."

Yeah, Arrancar? They're human stupid. Seriously, did they think that this would work? …Well, really, it depended on the other girl. They also had the fact that I wasn't much of a people person working against them.

They'd better be praying that this 'Orihime' was a really sweet, accepting, naïve girl…

"Ah! S-Szayel Aporro, sir!! A… and… Szayel… Aporro… ma'am?"

I twitched. Oh, yeah. They were in luck.

Sighing, I brushed passed Szayel and Ulquiorra, "Ignore our similarities; Szayel got to trigger-happy with his pills of doom. I assure you that I, like you, am completely human, and in no way, shape, or form willingly affiliated with these jackasses…. Other than the fact that one of them holds my life in the palm of his feminine gloved hand."

"E-eh?" I do believe I sent the girl reeling… She had a rather dazed look on her face. Then again, something told me her face frequently held that look.

"Never mind." I sighed, glancing back and quirking a brow, "Uh… Do you to need anything? Because I can take it from here."

Pasty-boy kept his face eerily blank, "Szayel, if you do not teach your human manners, I will be forced to kill her."

"Forgive me, Ulquiorra. I find I quite agree."

Then, I was on the ground, writing in pain as several hundred (or thousand… What?! I'm not a multimeter!) volts of electricity passed through my body. I heard a muffled scream and gasp, and when the shock stopped and I rolled over, I saw Orihime looking down at me with wide, terrified eyes, her hands clasped over her mouth.

"S-sorry, Szayel…" I rasped, rolling onto my stomach and pushing myself up to my hands and knees, "You're right. I've really gotta work on being more polite…" Pushing myself to my feet, I turned to Ulquiorra and bowed, "My deepest apologies, sir." As always, I kept that faint mocking tone Szayel had pounded into me in my voice.

Satisfied, Ulquiorra nodded and turned to the door.

Szayel glanced back, then addressed me, "You have an hour. This is just a trial… Don't do anything stupid." He then turned and walked out.

Heaving a sigh, I turned back to Orihime and shrugged, walking over to and flopping down on her sofa, "So, what'd they get you for?" When she just stared at me, I smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. My name is…" I sighed, "Just call me Aporro. I don't remember my name. Anyway, I'm Szayel's battle doppelganger."

"Orihime Inoue…" Orihime muttered, shifting back and forth, "Lord Aizen… plans on using me for the Hyogoku…"

"…The wha?"

"The device that turns Hollows into Arrancar."

"Ah… Riiiiiiight…" I blinked, "So… Done anything with your hair recently?"

You would not believe how many little braids you can make in Szayel's hair… Seriously? Millions! And Orihime is really, _really_ good with hair.

Being limited on the supplies, we stuck with just tying off the ends of all of my braids, and with a little coaxing she let me flip her hair into an up-do and pin it in place with her hairclips. She'd been really, _reaaaaally_ touchy about her hairclips…

Still, by the time we were done, she'd seemed a bit happier than when I'd first gone in, so I guess it was a success…

Really, we were still in the 'icebreaking' stage, so no one could really expect that much progress to be made.

When Szayel and Ulquiorra walked back in, Orihime and I were sitting knees to knees, our hands moving quickly through a three-step hand clapping game.

They stared at us until we messed up and collapsed in a giggle fit, and my Szayel-is-quirking-a-brow senses were tingling like crazy, but whatever. It was nice to have another human female to interact with, regardless of the reason, situation, or who was watching us.

"Time is up." Ulquiorra said in his ever-flat tone. "Szayel and his human will be leaving now."

I sighed, standing, "See ya later, Hime."

Orihime nodded, smiling, "Thank you for coming to see me, Aporro."

I threw her a smile and a salute, then turned and walked towards Szayel, who turned and walked out the door. I followed, slumping when the door shut behind me.

"…Something wrong, Aporro?"

"Eh?" I blinked slowly, then sighed, "No, not really… Misery loves company and all that…"

"…So, you're saying Inoue is depressed?"

"It's so glaringly obvious it's palpable." I grumbled.

"Ah…" Szayel thought about this for a moment, "I suppose it would take another female to notice… Women are rather complex about their emotions."

I rolled my eyes, "It's got nothing to do with being female, Szayel. It has to do with the heart. Anyone who's paying attention and has a heart could tell…"

"…Hmm…" I glanced at Szayel, who was rolling his eyes, "Heart."

"What?" I blinked, "Don't tell me you don't believe in heart?" When he threw me a look, I rolled my eyes, "Oh, I don't mean the physical one; of course there's one of those. I mean the one in your head… The one that makes you love, feel compassion, guides your actions, makes your chest pinch painfully when you've done something wrong or someone does you wrong or things aren't going right…"

Szayel smirked, "A heart in your head… What an anomaly."

"Oh, you know what I mean!" I slapped his arm lightly. When Szayel just stared down at his arm with a frown, I blinked, "You do know what I mean, don't you?"

"I know of the anomaly of which you speak." Szayel said flatly, turning and walking into his lab, "And thus far, I have met no proof that it exists."

I stopped, staring, then ran after him, "Well of course there's no physical proof because it's a psychological thing, but it does exist, Szayel! I mean, come on! Haven't you ever had a crush on someone? Haven't you ever been willing to die for someone for more than just because they were your boss? Have—"

"No." Szayel cut me off, turning and staring at me blankly, "I can honestly say I never have. Arrancar don't think about such matters; we're tainted souls, but beyond being an Arrancar, I am a scientist, and I have never found any proof of this 'heart' that has been described so many times over in human texts. Beings lust, yes, and that is what leads them to seek intimate physical relationships, and beings feel morals, which is why some seek long-term relations with a single being, but that is all your 'love' really equates to; lust and morals. And if you can honestly say that I have morals…" He smirked, "Your brain damage is more extensive than I originally believed."

I stared after him as he turned on his heel and walked away.

Did this guy have hormones? Hell yes.

Did this guy have a heart? …If he did, it was hidden so well not even he knew about it.

Could this guy love? …………

I stopped, shaking my head. This was crossing into dangerous and weird territory, and it was in the territory of _Szayel_ of all people… I needed a shower. A long, first hot, then very, very cold shower.

So I was glad that Szayel had headed to the labs instead of his room. Locking the door to both the bedroom and the bathroom, I first scalded myself with a quick, hot shower, then abandoned the cold shower and took a cold bath, instead.

Szayel had made the aloe shampoo for me; his pink pomegranate bottle standing out in stark contrast to my blue-green, an attempt to keep them separate… Really, it looked like a backwards 'his/hers' thing, which, considering our situation, was really, really twisted…

Now, how I fell asleep not only thinking about this, but in a tub of cold water, you've seriously got me, but somehow I did, and when I woke up next I was freezing and stiff.

Even once I was dried and dressed, I was still freezing, and it definitely didn't help that Szayel's room wasn't warm at all. I knew the room could get warm; every night it was consistently at about seventy-five degrees. That meant… if I wanted hot air in the room, I needed to talk to Szayel.

Awkward as our last conversation had been, I knew it hadn't bugged him as much as it had me, so asking how to turn on the heater wouldn't really be all that embarrassing. Keeping that in mind, I shuffled out of the room and to the labs, searching through them one by one as they came up, working in a circle.

Though Szayel's labs weren't confined to one building in particular, his domain was only located in one; the largest. His room was located in the center, with a main hall leading directly out to the rest of Las Noches and a smaller hall that spiraled around the facility, leading through the different rooms that each represented a different study. Even if I didn't know where he was, all I had to do was follow the spiraling hall out and around. Even if he wasn't there, at least one of the Fraccion would be; Szayel didn't trust me in the lab alone.

Starting from the beginning, I followed the path through the labs one by one, becoming more and more dejected the further along I got. Usually, even if he was in the outer labs, there were at least one or two Fraccion running around the inner ones. This time, though, there was no one; they were all empty, the humming of machines working to keep homeostasis and my echoing footsteps the only sounds in the rooms.

The closer I got to the outermost lab, the more I started to worry.

I had never been to the outer lab; I had never gotten the chance to, and Szayel had always tried to steer me away from it. When he wasn't around, there was always a Fraccion to play resistance.

Slowly, though, I was beginning to realize that because there was no resistance, I might finally be able to see the outermost lab.

What could be in there? …Maybe a really big garden! Szayel seemed like a person who would grow a secret garden, the pansy…

However, though, the further along I got, the more my ideas of a secret garden began to… wane… I was staring to notice that the outer labs held some of the more gruesome experiments. Cages holding shadowed creatures with glowing eyes and acidic saliva, tables with animals laying on their backs, sliced groin to chin and laid open, skin pulled back and held with so many long silver pins, glass tubes filled with and smelling of formaldehyde, pale and wrinkled grotesque bodies of creatures humanoid and non floating in pale, sickly yellow…

But I couldn't turn back. Not now. I had completely forgotten why I had come… something about warmth? …Whatever it was, it didn't matter. I wasn't moving of my own volition anymore; someone had put me on autopilot. I was walking through the final labs now, and the cloying smells and disturbing experiments were making me nauseous.

Finally, I was there. The final lab. It had a large set of soundproof, white double doors, made so thick and set so tight not even air or light could get through.

It was the only place left I hadn't been… Szayel _had_ to be in there…

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in.

"…Oh… my _God_…"

I was… gonna be sick…

Dozens of Fraccion were moving around the dark room, moving, cleaning, holding, observing…

In the middle of it all, of all of the tables scattered with wicked instruments, of the glass tubes and metal containers filled with samples of this and that, gauze, packaged sutures, and all other manner of things, stood Szayel, focused and working feverishly on something on a large, metal table.

And on the table………

"Oh my god…"

He was young; late teens, mid-twenties at most. Longish, unkempt brown hair, wide brown eyes staring at the ceiling in frozen shock and horror and pain, sprawled out and naked. His arms were secured to two metal protrusions on the table, his legs spread slightly and strapped down.

His chest had been sliced open in a 'Y' shape, the two tops starting at his shoulders and meeting at the top of his sternum and trailing down in one solid, straight line to his navel. The skin was peeled back and several of his ribs had been removed, four of them glistening white on a tray just to Szayel's left.

The worst part, though…

"Oh, _**GOD**_, PLEASE KILL ME, PLEASE, d-don't make me suffer this, PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU, j-just finish me, OH, GOD, YOU MONSTER!! CAPTAIN HITSUGAYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Oh god… he was still alive and awake…

"Lumina," Szayel muttered, "Silence him." There was a sickening crack and Szayel pulled out another rib, turning and picking up a sterile towel. He froze, though, when he caught a glimpse of me.

I stumbled back, muttering incoherently and bumping into the door as Szayel stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.

"Aporro? What are you—"

"H-hey, you!!" I looked passed Szayel, feeling more nauseous than I already was when I saw the young man staring straight at me, tears pouring out of his eyes, "P-please, SAVE ME!!" When I stumbled forward slightly, into the beam of one of the few overhead lights, he got a good look at me and wailed, "OH, FUCK, ANOTHER ONE!! GO AWAY, YOU MONSTER!! CA—" His next words were cut off when Lumina muzzled him.

"Apor—" Szayel stopped when I looked back at him, flying back and pressing against the door.

Heaving, breathing heavily, and choking, I turned and ran out. Everything around me blurred as my eyes began to tear and burn, the world getting smaller and the air getting harder to breathe. My chest burned, my legs were weak, and the rest of me felt numb.

When I got back to the room, I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it, right after locking myself in the bathroom and slamming the toilet seat up.

Once my stomach was empty, I curled up on the floor and cried, my mouth burning and sour and my body shaking.

Just what in the hell was Szayel?

What was I for running away from someone who had called for my help?

…Could I really continue to serve someone… some_thing_… who was that… that… monstrous?

No, I couldn't…

…I just wanted to die… And this time I meant it. At that moment in time, all I wanted was to be able to kill myself. But I knew I couldn't. I didn't have it in me…

I remembered the last time I had tried, how easy it had been to press a blade to my neck, and then I had been shocked by how easy the blade had slipped in. Too easy, as if it had been waiting for me to try. And then the knowledge of what would come after… That pressing, endless black void that was all my mind could process when I thought of death…

It scared me.

I wasn't about to die, even if it was the only way out. Not by my hand… Not Szayel, either… not after what I had seen…

Not anyone in this white hell, because how could I know that any of them would be any less brutal than Szayel? It was simple; I couldn't. All I could do was live… and pray that if I died in battle that it would be by the hand of the enemy.

Right now, it seemed the enemy hand was the only friendly one.


	9. IX Learning to Deal

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

Also, "**I've Got a Pain in My Sawdust (The Plaint of a Little Bisque Doll)**" is owned by Edward B. Marks Music Co. of New York, who legally bought the rights in 1920. And, seeing as I'm not eighty-nine years old, or even _close_ to that age, I do not own this song. EBM Music Co. still does, and probably will for a long time.

* * *

"Aporro, come out of there now."

I slid the glass door of the shower open and looked out at the door to make sure it was still secure…

The door was locked, the glass-framed full length mirror had been shoved in front of the door, the triple-tier glass shelf had been loaded up with everything light and heavy just laying around and set on top of the cabinet, which had been shoved up against the mirror, and several curtain rods had been jammed between the wall and the corner of the sink counter…

I just wish I had found a way to detach the toilet from the floor.

Szayel banged on the door, "Aporro, at least acknowledge me when I talk to you!"

"Go away, you monster!"

Hah! How's that for acknowledgement, you freak?!

He sighed angrily, "Aporro, I am trying very hard to be patient right now, but if you don't at least open this doo—"

"Hey, we've already had one 'at least', and that was me acknowledging you! That's all, if not way, waaaay more than what I owe you! Screw you, you freak! Go away!"

"Aporro, my patience with this is wearing thin. Move everything you have blocking this door and open it. Now."

I stayed where I was, silent, and hunkered down close to the marble flooring of the shower, slipping back and sliding the door slightly shut until only a sliver was left open; just enough for my eye to peek out.

"…Fine. I'm coming in."

Wood, glass and stone rattled as he apparently kicked the door once, twice, a third time, a fourth…

When the bars I had wedged across the doorway came loose and fell to the ground, I slid the shower door shut and latched it, my heart pounding in my throat. Either the banging got louder and louder or the echo in the room was starting to get to me… Still, when the wood of the door shattered, there wasn't any doubt.

I stumbled back as his silhouette approached the shower, his figure grotesquely transfigured by the smoky glass.

The shower door rattled and I pressed against the back corner and sank to the ground, pressing the palms of my hands to my ears and pulling my knees to my chest, burying my face and waiting for it all to end…

I could feel him in front of me… Heard him speak, but didn't understand passed the distorted, muffled echoes from having my hands pressed so deep into my ears… Felt him touch my shoulder and heard myself scream.

Lashing out, I covered my face and kicked straight ahead, pulling back almost immediately when I struck something soft and curling up when I heard Szayel swear.

"Damn it, Aporro!"

"S-Stay the hell away from me, you monster!! I saw what you were doing! I—"

"APORRO, GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!"

I screamed and struggled as Szayel grabbed my shoulders, lifting me up and slamming me into the wall. When I made the mistake of looking into his eyes, I found myself unable to look away and just stared, shaking.

"You know what I am, you know what I do." He hissed, "And you know what you are to me; you are a tool. I will coddle you so far as to keep you in prime condition for use, but enough is enough. It's time for you to stop acting human and start acting like the tool you are, starting with accepting what happens in this lab."

"Szayel… I ca-can't…" I was too tired to keep doing this. Too tired to keep playing this charade. I couldn't live like this much longer… If I kept going, this oppressing emptiness, this void that was just swallowing me from the chest out, would kill me without me even having to make another failed attempt. "I… I'm so…"

Then, it came. This thing that had been building up for so long…

Szayel dropped me and took half a shocked step back when I burst into tears.

Suddenly afraid he would leave, I lunged and wrapped my arms around his torso, pressing my forehead to his shoulder. Szayel froze.

I feared this man. I hated him. He was a monster… But I needed him. When I was going to die at the hands of another demon, he'd saved me. When I didn't know who I was, he gave me a name. When I was broken, he fixed me. When I had no purpose, he gave me one. I was scared shitless of him… but no matter what I'd seen or what he'd done, I needed him.

I couldn't let him leave now. Not at the risk of him not returning. Selfish as it was, I wanted to _live_.

But that didn't change that…

"Sz-Szayel…" I sobbed, still clinging to him, "I'm sorry… I'm so tired, b-but… P-please, don't leave me…"

"Shut up." He muttered, not moving, "You haven't outlived your usefulness yet…" He paused, "You shouldn't have been wandering around on your own…"

"Got cold. Didn't know how to turn on the heater… Who was he?"

"Is." Szayel corrected, "That subject is a two hundred year old shinigami, name Tetsuya Hanakano, eighth seat of the Tenth Division under Toshiro Hitsugaya. He defeated one of the prototype Arrancar and it was my job to find out how. Turned out the Arrancar had a weakness to kido, and the subject has a kido-type zanpakuto. Now I'm using him for my own purposes… Namely, finding a better way to fight shinigami."

"…Are you telling me, even after what I saw…. he's still alive?"

"…That is correct."

I tensed but didn't let go.

Szayel twitched, "Will you let me go now?"

"Will you promise me something?"

"No promises. Still, what?"

"…When I'm not of any more use to you, please don't do that to me…"

"…There would be an autopsy, at most. I have no need to study the workings of your internal organs while you're alive. I already know all I need to about the inner workings of the human body…"

I shuddered, leaning heavily against him.

Szayel twitched, hissing, "You humans and your weak psyches… Get off!" When I let go and sank to the floor, leaning against his legs, Szayel sighed heavily and there was a sharp slap, presumably him hitting his forehead, "Aporro…"

Exhausted and empty, I stayed where I was, temple pressed to his knee and arms wrapped loosely around his legs. I didn't struggle when he bent and grabbed me; I just lay limp.

"Humans really do have pathetically fragile mental states, don't they?" He muttered, more to himself than to me, as he carried me out of the bathroom, stepping over the debris and setting me on his bed. "I'm going to have to do something to make sure you don't have a breakdown… Medications, maybe…"

"Some interaction with someone other than you and the Fraccion wouldn't hurt…" I muttered.

Szayel glanced at me, quirking a brow, "…True. Humans are social creatures, aren't they?"

"And Arrancar are completely independent…"

Szayel nodded, "That we are. I'll probably start giving you an antipsychotic and have you kept under constant surveillance. As for interaction… I'll work something out."

I stared at the ceiling, a small smile tugging at my lips, "Yeah… Hanging around with you too long would drive anyone crazy…"

"True." Szayel said with a psychotic grin.

"…I've got a pain in my sawdust…"

"…What?"

Don't ask where I'd heard the poem; I don't remember. I don't remember much about my life before Las Noches.

As I lay there, staring at the ceiling and marveling at its smoothness, it started to come back to me…

"I've got a pain in my sawdust,

That's what's the matter with me…

Something is wrong with my little inside,

I'm just as sick as can be.

Don't let me faint, someone get me a fan

Someone else run for the medicine man.

Ev'ryone hurry as fast as they can

I've got a pain in my sawdust…"

"……Humans write about the oddest things."

"Yeah, I know." I replied, frowning. Just where had I heard that? "Wait, you said antipsychotic?"

"Yes, I did."

"No chlorpromazine."

Szayel smirked, "Fine."

As always, I fought the urge to punch him. Conceited prick…

* * *

I followed Szayel around the lab in a lazy daze, looking at whatever he touched with passing interest for intervals of two to three minutes at a time before following him again. He'd been doping me up on haloperidol; a more powerful antipsychotic than chlorpromazine that didn't have the effect on the sex drive, but it did make me real lethargic… Unfortunately, it made me restless at the same time, so I entertained myself with stalking Szayel, even with my slowed movements.

"Aporro, go to bed."

"Not sleepy."

"Mentally, perhaps. Physically, you're exhausted."

"And that would be your meds. Find something better and we wouldn't have this problem."

"You seem to be recovering well…" Szayel twitched, "You're back to your previous rebellious state…"

"This medication helps me dissociate."

"Actually, that would be the mirtazapine."

"…The what?"

"The antidepressant I put you on to combat the suicidal side effects of the haloperidol."

I stared at Szayel's back, twitching. "So," I needed to change the subject before I hit him. "What're you working on?"

"Ah, yes, an excellent question!" Szayel grabbed an object from a tray a passing Lumina was carrying and turned to me with a flourish, holding it out, "This is for you."

I stared at the proffered item, twitching.

"I know we haven't previously discussed this issue, but I knew it would come up sooner or later and decided to be prepared for it. After all, as near a perfect replica as you are of me, the presence of your other X chromosome aside, you are still human. And humans, females in this case, have certain needs that must be fulfilled."

I was still twitching.

"I believe you'll find the design is a great improvement to any other you have previously experienced. It's thinner, yet more absorbent, thus decreasing discomfort and increasing efficiency at the same time."

Still twitching, here.

"There are also several added features that make it safer for use. For example, the string is four percent longer, decreasing the chance of the risk of intake. I have also managed to completely remove the risk of Toxic Sho—"

Screw the laziness and the dissociation. I punched him. As hard as I could. Right in the jaw. Then, I turned and stormed to the door.

"…Perhaps she prefers sanitary napkins to tampons?" I heard Verona mutter before I made it to the door.

"She never struck me as the typ—" Szayel's answer was cut off when the empty beaker I threw at him nailed his forehead.

* * *

Almost as a sort of peace offering, a box showed up on the counter in the bathroom, a piece of paper with just my name written on it in Szayel's flowery handwriting placed carefully on top.

I hid the pads under the sink and no further discussion about it was made.

* * *

I woke up screaming.

Shooting into a sitting position, I stared into the dark and panted, face sticky with a thin sheen of sweat and my pulse pounding against the back of my tongue.

Over the dull roar in my ears, I heard Szayel sigh, "Dream, Aporro?"

"Ugh…"

"Side effect of the mirtazapine…Volume eight Chapter seven of _Encyclopedia Humanica_ says that… talking about it will… help…"

I smiled bitterly, snickering, "Can you sound any more uninviting?"

"If you aren't going to talk about it, I'm going back to sleep."

"…I'm in this black and white two dimensional world, standing on a sidewalk. There's a road, and houses and trees line both sides of it. There's no one else around… I start walking…"

"…"

"Eventually, the houses and sidewalk ends, and there's nothing left but the road. It's in poor repair and stretches on for miles and miles, no end in sight, but I keep walking…"

"…"

"When I can't walk anymore, I collapse. The road is still there, and by now it's dirt, but it keeps stretching on. I want to keep going, but I can't feel my legs, and my lungs hurt so much…"

"…"

"A strong breeze comes, and all I can do is watch as it blows the road away, leaving me laying in the middle of nowhere, with no way to go forward and no way to know how to get back. The pain in my lungs gets worse and worse, and then just when it starts to blind me… I wake up."

"…"

"…Well, doc? What do you think?"

"…I think I need to give you a sedative before you go to sleep." With that, he flopped back down and fell silent.

"Screw you, too, Szayel." I flopped down, glaring at the ceiling. The collar zapped me.

"Don't make me drug you, Aporro."

Oddly enough, knowing he was there was a comfort, even it he was a narcissistic, self-centered prick.

………Yeah, I definitely need a sedative. And maybe a higher dose of that antipsychotic.

I'd ask about it in the morning, right after his mere presence was done comforting me to sleep.


	10. X First Kiss

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

It's official.

Something is seriously wrong with me.

As if this stupid attraction to the most feminine, egotistical, narcissistic, pink-haired bastard it's ever been my displeasure— and twisted enjoyment— to know hadn't been enough, now I'm actually sitting in this classroom like area, letting him teach me about him, his zanpakuto, and their odd abilities…

AND RETAINING THE INFORMATION.

Big red flag, there.

"Now, what are the four abilities the release of Fornicaras allows me to use?"

"Carbon copy, those freaky little voodoo dolls, possession through ingestion, and _Gabriel_."

"Good, good. And what do these abilities allow me to do?"

"Carbon copy allows you to make various copies of your enemies, exact in every way down to their abilities…" I rolled my eyes, "Though it would be a lot more accurate and useful if you didn't change their appearance…"

"Make them more aesthetically acceptable."

"Either way. It's a waste of energy and it makes it less convi—"

"I didn't ask for your own input on my abilities, Aporro."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes, "The freaky voodoo doll allows you to make this adorable little copy of your enemies, which you can either hurt them externally by flicking the shit out of them, or internally by popping the doll open and breaking their organs, tendons, and other bodily parts and functions one by one."

"Very good."

"…" I looked away, muttering, "Though why pulling them in half doesn't do any damage I have no id—"

Szayel twitched, growling lowly, "Aporro…"

"Fine, fine… Possession by ingestion is pretty self-explanatory; someone eats you, you possess their central nervous system and take complete control of their body."

"Very good, Aporro. And finally…"

"…" I looked back at him, making a face, "Do I have to?" Really, it was nasty. I didn't wanna talk about it.

"Aporro, I won't release you from class until you finish the lesson."

"…Okay, do you secretly aspire to be a kindergarten teacher? Because that was really too convi—"

"Aporro!!"

"Fine, fine!!" I leaned forward in my seat, resting my elbows on the top of the desk and dropping my chin into my hands, "_Gabriel_ allows you to, in the case that you are damaged beyond repair, …impregnate your enemy and devour your way out, returning completely healed and leaving your host dead." I frowned at him, "Does that mean you're asexual?"

"Quite."

"…So, I don't ever have to worry about one of your enhancements for me including a penis?"

"…Incorrect. _Gabriel_ is a cloning process, not a replacement for reproduction."

"…So, you're asexual, but you still have…" I waved my hand vaguely.

"Yes." Szayel sighed heavily, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and twitching, "I still have the reproductive organs that all males possess."

"……So, you can reproduce sexually and asexually?" Oddly enough, this conversation wasn't nearly as uncomfortable for me as it should have been. "That would make you a heterogamete, wouldn't it?" Really, it was like Biology all over again…

However, judging by the shade of red Szayel was, not to mention the odd pitches he was talking in, it was waaaay more uncomfortable for him than it should have been… "In theory!!" …Who knew he could squeak like that?!

"…Theory? You mean you've never tried? You've got to have at least tried _Gabriel_…" I grinned, "Dear lord, you're a virgin!!"

Szayel deadpanned, "Class dismissed." He then turned on his feminine little heel and stormed out.

I waited until he was out the doorway to fall over, laughing. Even when my collar shocked me, I didn't stop.

Okay, so, not that I had much room to be laughing— I was just as much a virgin as he— but Szayel was, by all counts, supposed to be _ancient_… and if not ancient, then way older than he looked. After all, as he had told me, Arrancar had indefinite life spans, and he had gone so far as to hint he had been alive for a long time.

So, to hear he was a virgin…

Then again, he hadn't confirmed it.

Maybe he was just really, really shy about it…

"PFFT!" I stared laughing again.

Yeah, Szayel Aporro Grantz? Shy? Like hell. The only way that man could ever be 'shy' about anything is if you pegged him with a question he hadn't previously researched or experienced, which really only worked in favor of my initial hypothesis.

…That, or he's the submissive one of the relationship. I could see that leading to him being shy.

Okay, new hypothesis: Szayel was either a virgin or submissive. Though if it was the latter, submissive to whom was a different matter entirely.

As my laughter started to trail off and I started to think about it, I realized there weren't really that many females in Las Noches… At least, not that many I had seen.

Halibel, the Trecera Espada, was the first that came to mind, but imagining her and Szayel…. Not only would she be dominant— clearly; there was no other way around it if it _ever_ came to those two— but I could also imagine her eating him when she was done, like those praying mantises… Yeah, those two just didn't work out. At all. At least, not in _my_ head.

The other two were Loly and Menoly… Alright, so I had only met the Queen Beeatch and her little man-girl follower once, but I knew, right off, that those two were too whipped by Aizen. That, and Szayel had waaaaaay too much self-respect, and probably way too great a fear of STDs.

There were other females there, I'm sure, but I hadn't met any of them…

…Then again, there was also the possibility that Szayel was bisexual.

I mean, I knew he liked girls; if he didn't, he wouldn't have gotten so flustered those times I had teased him. So, if you threw men into the equation, too, that left bisexual… In which case there was an abundance of possible male partners, including all of the Espada and the top three, themselves.

Then again, some of them were automatic 'hell no's… Yammy, for one. Aaroniero, Barragan, Zommari… Grimmjow was a rather amusing possibility, as was Ulquiorra… And, damn, if I didn't nearly laugh my ass off at the thought of Nnoitra. Then there was Stark…

Nope. My brain shut down. Stark and Szayel just didn't process.

Still, if submissive hetero Szay wasn't funny enough, uke Szay was even funnier.

…Alright, this wasn't good. The mixed haloperidol and mirtazapine was really starting to get to me…

Physically, I felt fine, but my head was fuzzy and my thought process was muddled and screwy.

I mean, come on! I was reduced to thinking about Szayel's _sexuality_!!

There was no way it got worse than that.

"Hey, Szayel!" He needed to give me some better shit than what he was; it wasn't working right. "Got a favor to ask!"

Heaving a twitching sigh, Szayel turned and let me catch up, frowning, "What?"

"You need to either start drugging me with something that doesn't screw with my thought process, or you need to start drugging me with something that stops it completely. I can't live in my head anymore."

Szayel blinked slowly, "What's wrong with your thoughts?"

"They're centered on you and I don't like it." When he just stared at me in shock, I went on, barely thinking about what was coming out of my mouth, "I'm sick of thinking about your sexuality or lack thereof, your eyes, your hair, how that uniform hugs your body just right, your lips when you're in Resurreccion…" I trailed off, my thoughts wandering to the very things I was speaking of… Then I shook my head and went on, "If I weren't on this shit, I wouldn't be thinking about things like that…" I frowned, "Actually, I might be, but at least I'd be able to control it and stop it before it enters weird territory. When I'm on this shit, it just keeps going and going… And I can't keep thinking about you like that. It's weird. Even if I kinda like it…"

Szayel stared at me, then pressed a hand to my forehead, "Are you running a temperature?"

"No, you twit!" I slapped his hand away, snarling, "I'm telling you I don't like how your drugs make me think more about my attraction to you then I care to. Fix it! Make me think about you less!"

Something told me I was going to kill myself later for being so forward. Right now, though, I didn't really care.

"…Attraction, Aporro?"

"Yes, Szayel, attraction! Make it stop! Tie my ovarian tubes! Perform a hysterectomy! Do something to lower my estrogen!"

For once, Szayel looked like he was at a loss. "That would… interfere with the future… experiments… breeding… Are you sure you aren't just wording this too strongly?"

"DAMN IT, MAN!! Are you so sex deprived that you can't tell when someone has a crush on you?!"

"…Aporro, I think you ne—" He never got to finish his sentence.

I lunged at him, grabbing his shoulders and slamming him up against the wall.

Poor guy didn't even have his guard up…

…Just so you know, Szayel doesn't taste good. At all. His lips have that terrible sting of disinfectant alcohol, like he drinks it on a regular basis… Which, oddly enough, I can imagine him doing. After all, he has to keep his precious digestive tract nice and clean, right? His tongue wasn't much better, either; really, really strong tang of that grey shit he called toothpaste.

His skin smelled like a cocktail of formaldehyde, rubbing alcohol, Roccal-D, and a load of other disinfectants…. It made me nauseous.

His only saving grace was his pomegranate shampoo, which I was glad he used, even if I hated pomegranates. _Something_ about him had to smell like something other than disinfectant, or I would have been pissed.

Now, some people say that they could stay in a kiss forever. Others say that it seems like time has stopped.

Me? I was just waiting for Szayel to snap out of it and kill me. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it. A lot. Finally getting this off my chest felt terrific, and taste aside his mouth wasn't half bad, either. Still, there was no use in being delusional, even if I was drugged to shit and doing this; Szayel was going to have a very violent rea—

Then, I was slamming into the wall and right after meeting the floor. The sharp, metallic taste of blood bloomed on my tongue and my lower lip stung like hell.

Pushing myself to my hands and knees, I licked the blood off of my lip and looked back at Szayel. He was still pressed against the opposite wall, one hand gripping Fornicaras and the other in front of his mouth, the back of his hand pressed against his lips. He was staring down at me with wide, shocked amber eyes, body frozen but tense, as if he were still trying to process what had just happened.

Then again, he probably _was_ still trying to process it.

Grabbing my glasses off of the floor, I pushed them back onto my face and stood, suddenly painfully aware of where I was and what I was just doing.

"Szayel, do us both a favor and get over yourself. Once you're done with that, do something about these medications." I paused, "Actually, since you'll probably never get over yourself, fix the medications first. Then get to the other thing."

I turned and limped away, trying to forget. But it was hard. I could still smell formaldehyde and pomegranates, still taste the toothpaste. I could still feel his slim frame, tense shoulders in my hands, his chest against mine… And his mouth.

Beyond the blood I was still licking off of my lip every now and then when I felt the dribbling just about to go beyond my reach, I could still taste his toothpaste, and beneath that a hint of the taste of his mouth, alone. …Frankly, it was rather bland.

Still, for as tasteless he had been, as much as he had smelled like disinfectant and formaldehyde, I found myself wanting more… It was too intoxicating…

I wanted it again.

It wasn't a need; nothing so cliché.

I wanted it. Bad. Now.

It nearly made me turn back and hunt Szayel down, just to pin and ravage him. However, we all know well what the result of _that_ little escapade would be like: lots and lots of Aporro blood, all over the walls.

So I stuck with wandering back to his room and heading into the bathroom, shutting the door and sinking back down against it, closing my eyes and trying to banish the thoughts that kept coming over and over:

his mouth had been hot;

his tongue had twitched and danced wildly, exciting me;

his body was almost unbearably soft, though toned;

hi—

"DAMN IT!!" Regaining a small bit of my sanity, I punched the wall, focusing on the throbbing pain in my knuckles and the smear of blood on the stone wall to forget. It was bad enough that I had done that, the last thing I needed to do was sit around in my victim's bathroom and get turned on by it.

It was then I froze.

Szayel was never a victim. Never. And, if he ever was made a victim, so long as it was in his power the one who had wronged him would pay.

I was fucked, and not in the way I would have liked at the moment.

I was as good as dead.

Szayel was going to kill me, slowly and painfully.

Oh. Shit.

After peeking out into the room to make sure it was clear, I rushed out and grabbed my pillow, dragging it back into the bathroom. I locked the door, then dumped my pillow into the tub.

No way in hell was I sleeping in the same room as Szayel tonight, and there was no way he was going to let me leave his quarters.

May as well get myself ready for a long stakeout in the bathroom.

And I had one last dose of haloperidol to help me get to sleep and start it off… Yawning, I slumped over to the tub and collapsed, sinking down into a nice, safe little stone box of a bathtub.

…Damn, I hope Szayel wasn't planning on taking a bath tonight…


	11. XI Get His Attention

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

There are certain poses Szayel strikes that make you think he's perfectly aware of the fact that he's sexy. Like he just strikes those poses to make you look at him and take in his commanding sexiness.

Like the one he struck when he was staring down at me after finding me camping in the bathtub; he crossed both of his arms over his toned chest, his weight shifted to one leg so that the opposite hip stood out, his head tilted to the left so his bangs fell across his slightly narrowed eyes just right…

God, it was like he was _begging_ me to jump him.

In fact, despite the angry look he was giving me, it took all of my self-restraint to not do just that… if anything, his anger made me want to jump him more.

Just why was effeminate sexy?! …Then again, that's probably why shojo manga with bishonen characters was so popular. Damn them…

"Aporro!"

I jumped, blinking.

Szayel glared down at me, twitching, "My eyes are up here." He pointed to his face.

I blinked again, "And your chest is just below them…"

He twitched again, "Getting bold, aren't you?"

"What's the point of not being bold when I'm going to die, anyway? Hell, if I'm going down, I'd rather it be kissing you than cowering in a corner."

Again, a twitch, "Please refrain from being so forward…"

"Then try to refrain from being sexy."

"Take this."

I blinked at the pill he shoved into my face, "What is it?"

"Diazepam."

"…You're drugging me on valium, now? You know that impairs learning abilities…"

"That is something I'm willing to risk. Take it."

I shrugged and complied, then blinked, "Wait… does this mean you're not killing me?"

"…Correct."

"…Szayel, I forced myself on you."

"I am aware of that." He looked away, twitching at the recollection. It was probably my imagination, but I could have sworn he turned a bit red, too… "I'll take blame for that for drugging you on haloperidol and mirtazapine, both of which are known to cause… some levels of mania and confusion."

I stared at him, then shrugged. "Fine. Delude yourself. I don't care." The collar, which I had nearly forgotten about, shocked me.

"Watch your tongue."

"Nah." I grunted, standing and rubbing my throat, "I've had it with being jerked back and forth between living in servitude and fearing death. How about I treat you nice when you treat me nice?"

Szayel shocked me again, "How about you simply do as you're told?"

"Because you need me and you won't kill me or hurt me more than necessary." I shrugged, "You put a shitload of energy into making me what I am, Aizen needs me for Orihime, and if you kill me it'll be admitting that you can't control me to everyone who learns of it. I mean, come on." I pointed to the split on my lip, "You can't even stand seeing this on something that resembles you so closely, can you? You want to fix it. Have to fix it. If you don't, it'll drive you insane."

At this point he was staring at the split, twitching and scowling.

"I'm right, are—" Suddenly, everything seemed so slow… I slumped back against the wall and sank back down onto my pillow. Damn, I was tired…

"Finally." Szayel muttered, bending and scooping me up, "I thought it was taking too long…"

"Wha…" Ugh, I was too tired to even talk…

"A few tweaks in the chemical formula of the diazepam." Szayel replied, carrying me out of his quarters and into the lab, "Nothing more, nothing less."

Prick… He'd done something to make it fast acting and more powerful. "Sz-Szay…?"

"Calm down." Szayel sighed, "If you work yourself up, your adrenalin will wear out the drugs too quickly. Just rest."

"Alrigh'…" I flopped back, mildly disturbed that I didn't feel it when my head hit the table.

"Now, close your eyes," A warm, white-gloved hand settled across my face, turning everything dark, "And just go to…"

His words got slower and slower until I was out.

* * *

I'd started taking to sitting in cold baths in order to keep myself awake and to 'cool off' the thoughts about Szayel. Simultaneously, he had taken to talking to me less.

I was starting to get lonely… and cold.

Our sleeping arrangements didn't change, our classes still went on, and he still handled my drug administrations personally, but other than that, nothing.

Not that there had been much there before, but any and all unnecessary conversations were avoided or dropped, and any necessary ones were clipped to the bare minimum.

It was depressing.

Real fucking depressing.

Selfish bastard… Still, not like I was much better, wanting him to talk to me just because I wanted him.

It was in my cold baths that I began to formulate a plan to get him closer… make him spend time with me. Make him talk.

If asking annoying questions…

* * *

_I sat behind him on a barstool-like chair, fiddling with an empty beaker, "So, how come your brother was the blonde but you ended up a pinkette?"_

_Szayel glared at me and didn't answer._

_I winced.

* * *

_

…And tripping over my feet and stumbling into him on purpose…

* * *

_Szayel caught me, sighed, then picked me up by my shoulders, set me on my feet and to the side, then kept walking._

_I stared after him, chest heavy.

* * *

_

…Well, if those weren't working, I'd just have to resort to more drastic measures.

Really drastic.

Borderline Szayel-will-kill-me-for-trying-this drastic.

…Then again, chances are there were plenty of non-life threatening plans I could use, but in my desperate, drugged, cold bathwater state, it seemed the deadly plans were the only ones coming to mind.

Like, for some reason, injuring Szayel grievously came to mind. Causing him to somehow become so drastically hurt that he would be incapable of taking care of himself… I could imagine him laying in bed, pale and cold, waiting for me to take care of him… Then, immediately after, the vision of me walking in in a stupid nurses outfit, little hat and all, wearing strappy white heels and carrying a silver tray laden with a bowl of soup, a glass of tea, and a small vase with a single flower…

At that point, I killed that idea, as quickly as I could so I wouldn't throw up. Dear god, who was I?! Annie Wilkes?! Ugh, I never should have read about the Florence Nightingale effect…

New plan.

If hurting him didn't work, what about hurting myself?

Again, that plan died. He'd stitch me up and drop me back into the pink tube. And I didn't particularly care to go back in there again…

Jeez, just how do you get close to an Arrancar? Thinking back to what Szayel told me, it wasn't easy.

"_Arrancar are, unlike humans, socially independent. We don't _need_ to interact with others… The fact that we do is just a result of us falling under Lord Aizen's command._"

Okay, so not only was he just flat independent, he was independent by nature. That didn't make things easier…

"_Arrancar don't 'mate' like humans do. There's no reason to. We were once Hollow, thus we had no sex drive. This augmentation with shinigami, though…_" He'd sighed, "_I'll admit, it does bring about… urges, but none we typically can't control._"

So, they also had primordial abstinence that was only affected by one generation of change. Reeaaaally didn't make things easy.

…Not that I was looking for sex, but on a biochemistry level attraction and lust were closely linked through chemicals, and the only way to get him interested in talking to me would be to trigger those…

Ugh. Head hurt. Yeah, not much of a science person here. Let's just stick with lowdown tricks, alright, Aporro? Good girl.

Hmm… So if Szayel has no real reason to interact with me because he's Arrancar… Then I need to make him less of an Arrancar… Steal his glasses/mask?

I sighed.

Nah. Even if he 'pushed' them up the bridge of his nose out of habit, those things were glued in place by… some naturally occurring Arrancar force. I wasn't getting them off… or anywhere near them, really. He was touchy about them.

…Fill up his Hollow hole with gauze and fast-drying foam?

…Yet another bad idea.

First off, I had no idea where that thing _was_. Thanks to his completely impartial attitude about dressing in the same room as me, I'd often got a good look at his body from the stomach up. But I'd always… yeah, I never looked. Not even mildly interested in looking… Alright, that was a lie. But I had some sense of modesty, alright?! And there was no way in hell I was pulling his _pants_ off….

I blinked.

Now that I thought about it, though…

Oh, god, I was inches away from drooling!! KILL ME!!

Still… Szayel… no pants…

Twitching, I inhaled and sunk down into the water, letting the cold cool down my face.

Jeez, one kiss and I turn into a hormonal fourteen-year-old… No wonder Szayel was running from me.

…What I needed was a genuine reason to be around him more. One he would believe. One he would go with…

Alright, so what was Szayel interested in about me…

I twitched.

How much I was acting like him, in both personality and physical ability.

…I shot up out of the water, letting out a huge spurt of air and blinking as the water sprayed off of my lips.

"That's it!!" Lure Szayel to the training arena under false pretenses! I mean, it's not like I couldn't use some more training, and it was the perfect opportunity to not only get close, _real_ close, but to also possibly get injured and have him doctor me…

Was I getting desperate? Hell yes! But I had to do something! I was suffocating, here! I _needed_ him!

Even if he didn't need me…

* * *

Szayel blinked, "An increase in your training regimen?"

I nodded slowly, looking down at my feet, "Szayel, you can pump me full of whatever you want to, alter my genes how you please, rename me and make me mind, but if I don't have the physical strength and stamina to pull it off it won't mean anything. I _need_ to get stronger…" I looked up, eyes wide, "And smarter! Hell, Szayel, I need to be more convincing! I don't want to die out there if there's a chance I can be better!"

Szayel blinked again, shocked.

"Not that I'd ever be able to get close to your level, but anything helps, right?" God, I was gonna need to wash my mouth out with soap… "Szayel, I need your help…" All of this sucking up was making me feel ill… Either that, or it was an overload of being so close to Szayel and his disinfected perfection again. I was feeling very dizzy…

"Fine." Szayel nodded, turning to a computer and typing, "I'll rework my schedule and make more time for your training… we'll start doing it every day for at least three hours, starting tomorrow."

I nodded, smiling, "Great!"

"And as for your education…" Szayel sighed, "Even if you aren't able to understand it, you can still accompany me around the lab for some of the lesser experiments. You can read my notes for the rest, and I'll set up a booklist for you…"

"Oooo, books…" Damn it, books. Books were a one person thing, not two. Maybe I could feign illiteracy…

"Aporro, what are you thinking about?"

I jumped, yelping when I came out of my reverie to see Szayel staring at me in confusion, one brow quirked. "Uh… huh?"

"You have that look I get when I'm planning something…"

"Me? Planning? Pfft." I waved him off, rolling my eyes, "As if I have anything to 'plan' for; I'm locked in your place all day." And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"…Fine." Szayel turned back to his computer, "Now, please go back to the room. I'm not prepared to show you around and—"

"I'll only get in the way, I know… I know…" Heaving a sigh, I turned and walked away.

All I had to do was bide my time, and soon enough I'd be next to him again… And then, even if it killed me, I was gonna jump him.

…God, I have issues…


	12. XII Project File

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Alright, so this whole 'train and study harder' thing wasn't working out like I'd planned…

When it came to studying, I actually found myself getting into what I was reading and watching and trying to learn more about it instead of getting closer to Szayel.

Damn me and the short attention span cold baths and valium gave me…

Training, though… that was working great.

"Left handed…" I sighed, gingerly switching my sword to my left hand and holding it as tightly as I could. And when you're dominantly right handed and have never even experimented switching dominance with your left? Hard.

"Very good, Aporro…"

"T-Thanks!" Ugh, I could feel my face heating up… Just one bit of praise and I was a stuttering, blushing idiot. Oh, yeah, I had it bad…

"Now, then, sheath your sword and draw it with your left instead of your right and we'll get started." Szayel finished, sneering.

I winced, nodding and sliding the blade back into the scabbard. I'd missed the initial mockery in his tone. Ooooof course Szayel wasn't actually praising me… Damn it, this infatuation was making me a gullible idiot.

Sighing, I drew the blade with my left instead, wondering why in the hell Szayel had his zanpakuto on his left hip if he was left handed. Drawing from your left when you were a leftie was just awkward and dangerous.

I wasn't about to ask, though; no reason to make him unnecessarily pissy.

"Better." Szayel nodded, drawing Fornicaras. "Now, while I am perfectly capable of fighting strict melee, I usually find it best to let the enemy… tire themselves out. Use avoidance combat as much as possible; there will also be several other mechanisms at work in whatever room you are fighting in to swing the battle in your favor. For now, though…" He disappeared.

I tensed, staring at where he had been and expanding my reiatsu, like he had taught me. It wasn't very big on its own in comparison to his… in fact, it was downright minuscule, but he said it was at least enough to make a bubble with a ten foot radius around me. And if anything entered that bubble…

I spun around, wincing when Szayel pressed the flat of Fornicaras against my neck.

"Good sensing." He smirked, "Bad reflexes."

Dear god, he was standing so close… I could feel the heat from his body… He was so close to touching me, his chest to mine… This was what I was aiming for, but I… hadn't been… expecting…

"…Aporro? Are you alright? You're… flushed."

I jumped, "Eep!" When Szayel balked, I swung my sword up and wacked him in the chest with the flat, jumping back.

Szayel stepped back, coughing and holding a hand over where I had hit him. "Ah, not just bad reflexes; delayed ones."

"Hey, screw you, pinky!" I shrieked, my voice still high. I coughed, then spoke in a lowered voice, "Didn't see you blocking that last hit."

"There was no point in blocking it; you were already 'dead'." He shrugged, referring to when he had had Fornicaras against my neck.

Yeah, right. He hadn't blocked it because he had been caught off guard by my scream; it was easy to catch Szayel off guard, I had noticed. Not that he would admit it.

"Now," He started, snapping my out of my thoughts, "Let's try that again." Not giving me any time to protest or agree, he disappeared.

Tensing, I formed my bubble again and waited, looking around.

"Instead of waiting…" Szayel's voice began, seeming to come from everywhere, "Why don't you try moving?"

"Because if I move I can't focus on my bubble, and if I don't focus on my bubble it'll pop."

"Your reiatsu control is that poor? …That is unacceptable."

"Acceptable or not, it's reality, pinky." …There! I felt him! I spun around, swinging my sword awkwardly with my left hand. Caught off guard when my right hand automatically not only tried to follow, but passed my left hand, I was thrown off balance and lost my grip on the sword, at which point it went flying straight at Szayel.

I don't know what happened to Szayel, but the momentum brought about by the loss of my sword and my still spinning body led to me falling flat on my back, and somehow or another Szayel ended up on top of me, looking as shocked as I felt.

"………So, who won this round? The one on top, or the one who led to both being on the floor? Because you know, I have a feeling if you hadn't dodged that sword—" I stopped when I realized Szayel wasn't making any move to get off of me.

He was, in fact, still laying on top of me, staring at me flatly with something I recognized as a mix of irritation, embarrassment, and… something else… in his eyes, "Must you insist on tempting fate?"

"…Kinda funny to hear such a logical man like yourself talking about fate."

"You're delusional. Of course we Arrancar act on our sporadic bouts of lust, if only to prevent it from distracting us from your work, but what are you expecting?"

"Nothing, rea—"

"Shut up. You _are_ expecting something; it's human nature. And you're a fool for doing so. I could easily use you, if I wanted, but I'd prefer not to ruin you for further experiments. Besides that…" He frowned.

"Hey, you know what? Fuck you." I had no idea how we got off on this topic, nor how Szayel even knew what I had been planning, but this was pissing me off.

"Quit being touchy and listen to me, damn it. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Have. Any. Sort. Of. Tryst. With. You."

I glared at him, growling, then grabbed the back of his head and pulled him towards me, smashing my lips against his, "That's what you think."

When the world was done spinning and I had recovered from the pain that was making my head whirl, I lifted my head and pressed the back of my hand to my, once again, split lip. God, he had a mean bitch slap…

Szayel was standing some seven feet away, sheathing Fornicaras and brushing his hair out of his face, then straightening his clothes.

"Nice blush, man." The collar shocked me, flattening me on my back with severe stabbing pain, but when I saw his face get even redder it was worth every volt. Sleeping blushing Szayel had been adorable, but lucid blushing Szayel was just plain hot.

I lay prone on the floor, panting, watching as Szayel left without another word.

Oh, fine. Act like nothing happened. But I was going to get him, even if it was the last thing I did.

Was a fling worth getting killed for? …Probably not.

Still, not like I had much else to look forward to in the remainder of my life here; the Arrancar sure as hell weren't about to let me go back home, and I had been here for what, weeks? Months now? Like I had much to go back to… They'd have labeled me dead…

So, if I was going to spend the rest of my life as a lab rat, might as well get a few final kicks out of it.

And even if it killed me, which it probably would, I was going to get Szayel. And whatever that meant… fuck, it had better be worth it, because this shock collar hurt real bad.

* * *

During my readings of Szayel's notes and books, I had drawn a conclusion. The best way to get back on Szayel's good side and prevent myself from getting shocked or otherwise punished was to… well… _comply_ with Szayel's expectations of me.

Much as the idea made me sick, it was the best and easiest way to get things done, so I was going to at least take a half-assed crack at it…

Which meant eliminating all of the bad habits that pissed Szayel off…

Like swearing.

…Shit.

Damn it!!

…FUCK!!

…Alright, this was going to be a helluva harder than I thought.

…Aw, shit, 'hell' constitutes as a swear word, doesn't it? And so does 'shit'…

…Could I use 'cripes'?

Was 'cripes' something Szayel would say?

Hel— …Heck…. no, he wouldn't use 'heck' either, would he?

…A pox on this!

That was something Szayel would say, right? 'Pox'? …What is a 'pox', anyway?

Anyway, moving on. Swearing was something I had to work on, and what else? I was working on my fighting, and my reading… Ah, right.

Acting like Szayel.

'……………'

I stood, flouncing around the room, "Ooo, look at me, I'm gorgeous! And perfect!! Tra-lalala!" I stopped.

…Wait, there was a problem with that. Szayel's voice wasn't that high, he didn't have a British accent, and he didn't flounce…

…Though, admittedly, if he did have a British accent, he'd be even hotter than he already was. Or Irish. …Though not American English. Those Americans had a weird way of talking; they either clipped their words too much and spoke too quickly or they spoke r e a l l y r e a l l y s l o w l y. And a majority of them had a problem annunciating. Who in the hell could understand them, anyway?

…Getting off topic, here.

I needed to find a way to start acting more like Szayel, meaning I needed to get into his head… and considering he had been avoiding me lately, my only real choice was to delve into his hand-written reports and files.

"H—" Remembering my practice, I stopped myself from shouting and waited until Szayel wasn't staring so intently at the screen of his computer to calmly ask, "Szayel, do you have any report files I can read?"

Szayel, who had been clacking away at his computer at an almost impossible rate, jerked to a halt, turning to face me slowly. He blinked, staring at me, "…Aporro?"

Knowing he was just reacting to my subdued tone and more respectable way of speaking then what he was used to me using, I simply repeated, "Do you have any report files I can read?" He just stared at me, and I sighed, "I'm trying to study as to how to be more in character for you, and I surmised that the best way to approach it would be to read things written in your hand and think them out the way you would say them. That way you don't have to talk to me and I can start to familiarize myself with your experiments."

Szayel just continued to stare at me.

I blinked and quirked a brow, then noticed that I had raised my left hand to adjust my glasses as I spoke, shifting my right arm across my chest to support my left elbow…

A Szayel move.

"…Our lessons…" Szayel began after a moment, blinking, "Are actually making progress?"

Instead of bursting out and yelling like I wanted to, I shrugged and brushed my hair back with my still raised hand, crossing both arms over my chest. "What, did you think they weren't? I told you I would be working on it, Szayel. I have been paying attention, you know…"

"Ah…" Szayel blinked again, "I… I'm sure you have, but… Excuse me." He then picked up a clipboard and began scribbling, glancing up at me every now and then.

Despite myself and the cool, Szayel-like front I was trying to keep, I could feel my face heating up at how closely he was studying me.

Ugh, and to think that just a week or so ago I could barely stand to be around this guy…

"Finally… progress." Szayel sighed in relief, setting the clipboard aside. He then picked up a file that had been sitting near the clipboard and handed it to me. "Here. This is the basic project file for the Doppelganger Project, including the abstract background research."

I blinked, then reached out and took the file gingerly. Within it was… the information pertaining to my current situation… and my fate… Why would he—

"Don't look so stunned." Szayel sighed, turning back to his computer, "As I said, it is only a basic file; there are no intimate details that pertain to you within it. Still, it's best if you read it and understand what you are involved in with a bit more clarity."

"Ah…" Go figure. "Of course, Szayel. Thank you." I bowed and turned, leaving.

Yeah, go figure. Go figure that Szayel wouldn't trust me with something that important…. nor anything that may hint towards how he felt about me. Damn it…

Project 3145: "Body double" Serum

_In the human world, a body double is one who steps in for an actor or other entertainment professional when the part calls for said professional to partake in a dangerous stunt._

_In order to keep the aesthetic appeal and continuity of the story, the body double must resemble the person they are replacing closely, and while finding a naturally occurring resemblance is preferred to save costliness, sometimes enhancements are needed to be made to a being who merely resembles the professional as closely as possible in order to make the body double as convincing as possible._

_That is the purpose of this project: to find and make as close a copy to myself as possible, one with individual intelligence and one I can mold easily._

_For the sake of convenience, as well as to conserve energy and maintain plausibility, simply using a carbon copy will not be acceptable; they are too easily defeated and do not have the mental capabilities required._

_Hollows and Arrancar are also out of the question; it goes against the restraints placed on me by Lord Aizen and it is impossible, for altering the DNA of an Arrancar to mold it to another is beyond my capabilities as the Arrancar is an already tainted soul._

_The same applies to the shinigami._

_Rather, what I need is a pure soul; one untainted by the sway of both the shinigami, the Hollows, the vizard, and the Arrancar._

_More research into this is required._

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, letting the hand holding the file hang over the outside of the bathtub.

Szayel's frilly handwriting was hard to read, but beyond that it was hard to comprehend some of this… Still, things were starting to make a bit more sense.

Dipping my free hand into the cold bathwater, I rubbed my burning eyes and read on, relieved that the next few passages were typed.

Despite former observations that using Arrancar and shinigami would prove ineffective, I have few other options but to use some of the lesser Hollows for the initial attempts. Hopefully I will have access to the human world soon.

[+]

Attempt 1:

Subjects 1-10: Deceased; no changes observed.

Subjects 11, 14, 17: Severe brain damage; comatose; no changes observed.

Subjects 12, 13, 16: Alert, but epileptic; no changes observed.

Subject 15: Deceased before estimated change time was set to occur; weak immune system believed to be the cause. No useable data retrieved.

Subjects 18-20: Unaffected.

All subjects that had not died at first recording died within five hours after. First attempt recorded failure.

The next few pages were the same; a bunch of Hollows that had various reactions but none he wanted, and all of the subjects ended up dead.

Then, a change…

Permission to access human world has been granted. Project will now continue with lesser mortal creatures, with rodents and primates being the main subjects.

Permission for _homo sapiens_ subject pending.

Still, none of the results he wanted, at least not initially. Like the Hollows, most of the rats and monkeys ended up dead or vegetables.

Until…

Subject 2201: _Rattus rattus_ has shown progress; all hair from tip to follicle has turned a light shade of pink, and previously black eyes are now yellow.

Focus will now shift to this specimen.

Poor Szayel… the rat, Subject 2201, died just hours after the changes were observed.

Still, the progress allowed him to single out the strand of the serum he had used, the only one that had worked thus far, and reuse it, modify it.

Where normally mental images of little pink rodents with yellow eyes and little glasses would have normally made me laugh, not only was this a serious personal matter, but I was also starting to get tired… My vision was clouding at the corners…

Still, I had to know more.

Formula for the 'Body double' Serum has been stabilized. Subjects 4982-4999 have survived the week with the changes, each with fur now the appropriate shade and eyes the appropriate color.

Results will be given to Lord Aizen and a request for a _homo sapiens_ subject will be made again.

Hoping for positive results.

I turned the page, only to find—

**Project Terminated**

I blinked, staring at the page.

Just like that? It was over? No more? But…

Then, I saw it, in the bottom right hand corner of the same page. It was small, but it was there.

Project 4487: Doppelganger Pill

Ah… so that's why I was allowed to read this file… All of the information pertaining to me, personally, was in a different file. File 4487…

Sighing, I shut the file and set it outside of the bath, scooting it away so it wouldn't get wet when I finally got out.

…Frankly, though, I didn't think that would be happening any time soon. Cold as it was, this water was starting to feel excellent… And I was so damned tired…

Cushioning my head with one arm and letting the other sink lazily into the water, I focused on the ripples until I felt warm enough to sleep.


	13. XIII Sick

That's right, a double update. That last chapter was really rather boring and there wasn't enough chemistry to leave you all waiting for tomorrow, so I'm putting up the next chapter...

I'd like to take a moment to thank Halibel Lecter for her ideas for this chapter, and I encourage you all to go read her stories. ^.^ Thanks Hal~!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I felt myself being lifted out of cold and held against warmth.

A groan rumbling in the back of my throat, I turned towards it and nestled close. Damn it, the air was colder than the water…

The warmth sighed, making it move away slightly. I grumbled and nestled closer, latching on. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let something that felt this good get away… I was freezing and stiff, and my chest felt so heavy. The warmth had some kind of fresh, fruity scent that made my lungs clear slightly…

At which point the air I was inhaling rustled the congestion and I started coughing.

"Oh, _disgusting_!!" The warmth screeched when I coughed against it.

Wait a second… I recognized that shriek…

"Ugh… Szay… el…"

"Wonderful." I heard him grumble, "Just perfect… your cold baths have finally resulted in you becoming ill… I should have ordered you to stop."

Oh… man… everything felt so far off… and thick and cottony…

Ugh, and cold…

"Don' go…" Szayel tried to move away after setting me on a soft, solid surface. _No… don't g… go…_

"Aporro, release me."

"Cold…" I whimpered.

"I am aware of the fact that you must feel quite chilled, Aporro." Szayel sighed, "Which is why I am going to ge—"

"All better, now!" I jumped up from the bed, barely keeping myself from teetering, "It's a miracle!! Hallelujah!!" I was soooo _not_ receiving medical treatment from this bastard for something as menial as a cold. Szayel tends to blow things out of proportion, being a scientist first and something of a medic second.

And I did _not_ want to be stabbed with a four inch needle.

"…You really expect me to believe you've recovered that qui—"

"I think I'll go for a jog!!" And I did just that; ran out of the room and jogged through the labs.

"Aporro, no ru—"

Szayel was very strict about lab rules; while in his lab, you don't scream, you don't eat, you don't drink, you don't move equipment without having received an order to, you don't touch any papers, you don't talk to anyone who's working, and you _do not run_…

There's a good reason for this, it turns out.

Running on slick floors makes you fall.

Falling in a lab makes you knock things over.

And in the lab of the top weapons researcher in Las Noches, knocking things over is a far cry from 'okay'.

As I fell, my arms reached out to grab something, _anything_, to stabilize myself or break my fall. Unfortunately, what was in my desperate reach was a flimsy instrument tray, not even bolted to the ground. The capped beakers and sharp instruments that occupied the stand rattled in the short view I had of them, and when I fell further and the tray came with me, I could feel their presence looming above me…

But their presence was not alone.

Mere milliseconds after I met the ground with a pained thump, another, larger, warm presence fell on top of me, and mere milliseconds after that the smashing of glass and clanging of metal.

"M-Master Szayel Aporro! Master Aporro!!"

"Get back." Szayel huffed, impatiently, at his Fraccion, his breath hot against the side of my head, "And don't touch any of it! It will kill you…" With that, he pushed himself off of my back and stood, grabbing me by the back of the collar and jerking me up.

Choking, I flailed helplessly and fell back against him as he wrapped an arm around my waist and hefted me up, carrying me well away from the glowing, steaming mess on the ground before setting me back down and backing away.

"Master Szayel Aporro!"

I turned, balking when I saw Szayel, in the middle of his panicking and fawning Fraccion, half bent over and soaked with whatever was on the ground, several silver instruments gleaming from where they shot out of his back, stained red at the bases.

"Don't touch me!" Szayel snapped at his Fraccion, stumbling over to the emergency shower, "This mixture will dramatically diminish your reiatsu and kill you if you're too weak! Stay back!"

I stared at him as he stripped and jerked the chain, water showering down onto his exposed back and rinsing a mixture of blood and chemicals down the drain. In his effort to get his clothes off, he had jerked out the sharp instruments that had become embedded in his back and deepened the wounds.

Pulse pounding in my ears, things seemed to slow dramatically as I turned and fled.

I didn't know where I was going or why, but I had to get away, and fast.

Had to run…

Had to get away…

Had to escape…

Only chance…

Szayel… angry…

Escape…

My train of thought was abruptly cut off when I slammed into a rather hard body.

"Damn it, Grantz, watch where you're going!!" I looked up into a pair of startling blue eyes, breath hitching when I recognized Grimmjow, the sixth Espada. "Hold it…" His scowl turned into a smirk, "You ain't Szayel. You're his look-alike human bitch." He paused, then frowned, "What the hell are you doing running around the halls? You wanna get killed?"

"I… ah…"

"Aporro!"

Yelping, I jumped back up and dove passed Grimmjow, weaving through the small group of three to four Arrancar that followed him and continuing down the hall, taking the first sharp turn I came to.

Of course, as I ran my cold or flu or whatever it was I had worsened, not at all helped by the heavy breathing from running, and I could feel my head getting fuzzy and light.

When the hall started flashing grey and my ears started ringing, I knew what was going to happen. I was going to pass out.

Panting through my mouth when my nose wasn't transferring enough air, I slowed down and stumbled over to the wall, bracing myself against it and moving as quickly as I could down the hall.

Everything was cold and distorted, and before I could kneel to make the fall shorter I was blacking out, the last image I saw being the ground rushing up to meet me before all there was was dark.

* * *

"D-damn it…"

"Master Szayel Aporro!"

"—et the hell ba—"

"—rro? She nee—"

"—andle it myself. Leave us. …Aporro?"

I twitched, groaning. Ugh, my head was so heavy and my tongue tasted like shit…

"Aporro, respond."

"Ugh…" I opened my eyes, looking around and panting in short, panicked bursts. I couldn't breathe through my congested nose, and damn it, it was freezing. Whimpering, I closed my eyes and curled up on my side, unable to stop the tremors that overtook my body. Shit, it was _cold_.

"Damn it." Szayel muttered, sighing when I winced as an almost painfully warm hand pressed against my forehead, "Just what is your…"

It was getting hard to understand him; I was so damned tired.

"…This cannot be happening… of all of the times for…"

I curled up tightly, trying to stop the violent tremors at first, but giving in to them when I realized they were actually keeping me warm.

"And my situation isn't much better…" Szayel muttered on, addressing me but not really talking _to_ me, "That chemical you spilled on me has left me temporarily weakened… I can't even risk going back to the lab… You need treatment…"

It was officially impossible to understand him; I heard his words but they weren't making sense… Ugh, I needed a nap…

For a moment I was out again, then when I came to there was a body of intense warmth next to me. Realizing just how freezing I was compared to it, I latched onto it, pressing close, shaking again at the stark contrast between myself and it.

When it moved and shifted, becoming more accessible, I shuddered in relief and let my body obey whatever silent command it wished as it snaked out and wrapped around the warmth, keeping it as close as physically possible. When the warmth, though hesitantly it seemed, reciprocated, I shuddered and fell lax.

As soon as I did, though, the warmth tensed and tried to move away. Whimpering, I clamped down tighter and pulled it back, wiggling and shifting until I had wrapped my leg around it, as well.

Damn it, I was cold, and the one bit of warmth I had wasn't about to get away.

Sure, the warmth was tense and it kept trying to get away every few minutes, but it was there, and it really wasn't putting up much of a fight…

When it finally settled down I relaxed, nestling down and nuzzling to get comfortable.

The warmth twitched.

I smelled pomegranates…

"…Szay…?"

"…Sleep, Aporro."

"Can'…" Not yet…. Had to… "'m sorry… 'bout running… You… hurt… angry at… m—"

"I'm not angry…" For once, his tone wasn't harsh and mocking. He was quiet… subdued… Then again, not only was I on enough sedatives and antipsychotics to take down a horse, I was apparently violently sick. "Just go to sleep, alright, Aporro? You're too ill to keep talking…"

"…You're warm…"

"…Not really. You just have a mild case of hypothermia."

"…" I shifted, rubbing against him, "You're noh' wearin' any clothes…"

He twitched. "It's too dangerous for me to go into the lab in my state, and the best way to treat hypothermia on the field is by transferring body heat from a viable donor to the victim."

"Please tell me you aren' naked." Though, even in my state, that wasn't a half bad thought… "…Please tell me _I'm_ noh' naked."

"I'm not, you're not. Now go to sleep."

"'mkay…" I nestled down and closed my eyes.

It barely registered that I was right where I had wanted to be for some time; in Szayel's arms.

Of course, I would later think…

**SCORE!!**

* * *

When I woke again, I was rather uncomfortable.

The person I was laying on was tense, and their hold on me wasn't at all gentle. It was the way you would hold a dog that you thought might bolt or turn on you and bite; loose, but with tensed arms that were locked in place.

"Kohaku…" When the arms twitched, I jabbed him in the side, "Ease up…"

"…You've said that name before." Szayel muttered.

I froze, twitched, then jumped and screamed, shooting back and falling off the bed upper body first, landing shoulders down on the hard stone floor.

After gasping and writhing for a moment, I rolled onto my hands and knees and shuffled back, staring up at Szayel as he sat up and stared down at me. I stopped only when I bumped into the wall, then I sat back and crossed my arms and my legs.

"…Amusing…" Szayel began after a moment, face blank, "With as forward as you have been over the last few weeks, one would think that this wouldn't disturb you as much as it apparently does."

"…Who's Kohaku?"

"You're asking me?"

"You said I've said that name before."

"Yes, when you first came under my care. Just because I've heard you say it, though, does not mean I know who he is."

"…Could he be…"

"Someone you knew back when you lived in the human world? Undoubtedly. And, judging by your reaction just now, I'd say he was a former love interest, possibly a former mate."

I twitched at that.

"…I know it's narrow-minded of me… but I never considered the possibility that you had previous sexual experience."

"Funny; neither had I." Because I didn't remember, damn it!

"…I suppose an examination is in—"

"Fuck. No." I wasn't even thinking about the possibility of being shocked right now. I was too busy being adamant. "You are not being my gynecologist, on top of everything else. I draw the line there."

"Fine, fine." Szayel stood, running a hand through his hair, "Then at least get back over here so I can see if your temperature's stabilized."

"…Throw me a blanket."

Szayel rolled his eyes but complied, jerking a sheet that had been jostled loose and crumpled up out from under the comforter and tossing it over to me. I caught it, fought with it when it flared and slumped over my head, then stood and wrapped it around myself, shuffling back over to Szayel.

The closer I got, the more painfully aware I was to what had happened. We had slept together, in the same bed. And not like that one time he had been drunk; this time we were both down in our underwear, and we had been under the blankets.

It had been… nice.

To bad I had to go and ruin it by waking up saying another man's name.

Still… As Szayel pressed his hand to my forehead to check my temperature, that's all I found myself thinking about.

Instead of thinking about how I had had Szayel in my arms, how we had slept so close to one another in nothing but our underwear, how I had been close, like I had been working at to get to, I found myself thinking about the faceless, voiceless, characterless 'Kohaku'.


	14. XIV Jealous

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Repressed memories, Aporro?"

I barely looked up from the book I was reading, nodding and turning the page, "Mmmhmm…"

"….Trying to find a way to remember him?"

"I do remember him…" I skimmed down the page, "Somewhere I do… I just want to remember all the time… On my own."

"Aporro, when you came to me, your brain damage was extensive. Borderline vegetative. I'm surprised you remember what you do, even if it is in your subconscious. I highly doubt you'd be able to recover anything on your own, and even if you did it might only lead to psychological damage, possibly even so far as physical…"

"Mmmhmm…"

"…Aporro, I forbid you from looking any more into your life before Las Noches."

I stopped.

I looked up at him, blinking.

I thought.

This was the first time Szayel had expressly 'forbade' me from doing anything.

He'd always listed rules, he'd always strongly suggested I don't do this or that, he'd always warn… but he'd never 'forbade'.

This was new.

This was odd.

Szayel had a blank face on.

"Why?"

"…A tool does not question. A tool simply accepts."

"You call that a reason?" I quirked a brow, "Szayel, so long as I study to be you, work on my combat, and don't screw anything up too bad, you've never given a damn about what I do with my time. What's the problem now?"

"There is no problem." Szayel said airily, "I simply don't think it's a good idea for you to look any more into your past, thus I forbid it." I didn't fail to notice that he was now refusing to meet my eyes. I blinked when he reached out and took the psychology book I was reading, "And I'll be putting this back now."

I watched him walk away, then shrugged and leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. Fine. Take the book. I didn't need it to work at remembering the past; I could try to do that on my own. I was just hoping there might be an easier way…

"Read this." I jumped and yelped when something fell in the table in front of me with a loud bang, then stared down at the huge volume that Szayel had dropped in front of me. Dear god, it had to at least be two thousand pages long… "A bit of light reading for your reeducation."

"………Light?"

"Also, you'll need to be prepared for a fitting soon. We'll need to have a faux Fornicaras uniform made for you…"

"Uh-huh…"

"Let's go."

"Huh?"

Szayel rolled his eyes and beckoned for me to follow, "I don't trust you anywhere alone, now. You're to start following me around as I work."

"…And how am I supposed to do that _and_ read at the same time?"

Szayel looked like he was at a loss at this. I frowned and stared at him. Something wasn't right here. Not only was Szayel acting odd, he apparently also wasn't thinking clearly. And what was up with the sudden need to control what I was doing…

"Fine." Szayel grumbled, turning and walking into the lab, "You wish to stay there? Feel free, then. But you had better study!"

I stared after him, brow quirked. Then, if only to keep appearances, I opened the book and leaned against my hand, staring down at the page. And then… I started to think about my time as a normal human.

Other than a few scattered memories, mainly of Nnotira trying to kill me, and the name 'Kohaku', I had nothing to go on… What had I looked like? How old had I been? Did I have a family? What where they like… What had _I_ been like?

And Kohaku… who was he to me? A brother? A father? A boyfriend? …A lover?

I found myself thinking about what he must look like… How long his hair would be, the color of his eyes, how his body would feel, how his lips—

"Aporro!" I stiffened, gasp caught in my throat. Inhaling, I turned to look at Szayel, blinking at his crossed arms and his narrowed eyes, "If you have time to daydream, you have time to read." Without saying anything else, he turned and stormed off.

I stared after him again, taken aback.

Ordering me to study was one thing, and keeping an eye on me fell in the same general category, but… he'd responded really fast. Had he been watching, waiting for me to start thinking? Shit, that was a different category entirely.

That was… I dunno… Stalker-ish? Creepy? I was half tempted to throw 'overprotective' in there, but that would insinuate that he was looking out for my best interest.

Which brought about the question 'why'; just why didn't he want me thinking about my past?

It seemed like something he shouldn't be too interested in, _wouldn't_ be too interested in… Yet it seemed he was. For some reason, me thinking about my past angered him. At least, it angered him enough to make him lurk around corners to make sure I wasn't thinking about it…

Alright, Aporro, jumping to conclusions here. I needed more proof than his lack of forbearance for me searching into my past and one instance of him waiting around for me to think about it to stop it… I needed to catch him in the act. I needed to make a trap, draw him in, then catch him where he couldn't escape.

Alright, so the match is Szayel versus Aporro in a battle of wits!!

….Shit, I'm screwed.

* * *

Alright, so I figured that the easiest way to catch Szayel in the act of doing… whatever he was doing… I figured the easiest way to do it would be to do what he didn't want me doing; namely trying to piece together my past.

So, once I had escaped him and his insistent studying and teaching attempts, I wandered a ways down a random hall, sat down and leaned back against the wall, and started to think.

I remembered… the day Nnoitra tried to kill me.

It had just stopped raining, and the air was heavy and damp… Everything smelled so strongly of wet asphalt, car fumes and leaves…

If I thought hard enough, I could remember looking down at a pair of shiny black penny loafers, white calf-length socks, and the bottom edge of a black pleated skirt. And was that a lock of dark brown hair?

…And there… just to my right…

I couldn't look that far because my memory didn't go that far, but there was my arm, covered in a long, dark grey sleeve, and my hand… holding another hand…

The other hand was a shade darker than mine, and it was bigger and strong… masculine…

I was holding hands with someone.

I heard a voice, and just as I was turning to face it, I caught sight of Nnoitra, standing in front of us, and after that… everything got confusing… and red, with flashes of silver and—

"Aporro!"

When I opened my eyes and turned to Szayel, I had to blink passed tears. When had I started crying…?

"You're thinking about it again, aren't you?!" Szayel demanded, storming up to me.

"So what if I am?!" I demanded back, voice a bit thick, "What does it matter?! It's my past! Not yours!"

"I expressly forbade you from thinking about it!"

I rolled my eyes, "Ohh, what do you care what I think about?! So long as I'm a convincing 'you' on my possible deathbed, you don't give a damn about me!"

"That is—!!" Szayel stopped, balking.

Gritting my teeth, I stood and turned, glaring at him, "'That is' what?! What, Szayel?! What bugs you so much about me wanting to remember?!"

"…Why do you want to remember?" Szayel asked after taking a moment to compose himself, running a hand through his hair and straightening his glasses.

"Because…" I sighed, "I don't know about you Arrancar, Szayel, but memory… is an important thing to humans. It's… almost fundamental to our lives. Like air… it's something we need. Because without them, how are we supposed to know what made us… us? How are we supposed to know what truths…" I sighed, unsure of how to go on.

"…Do you even know what you're talking about anymore?"

"Not really." I looked up at him, frowning. "Szayel, just why does it matter if I try to remember?"

"…" Szayel stood straight, looking down at and adjusting his gloves, "I am the one you serve now, Aporro. Whatever happened in your past life should be irrelevant."

"…You're jealous?" Huh, this was a lot easier than I thought…

Szayel blinked, then smirked, "Me? Jealous? Of the sway your past holds over you?" He covered his face with one hand, the other pressing against his stomach as he doubled over and started laughing.

I stared at him flatly as he tried to 'compose' himself. Oh, yeah. He was jealous. "Well, if you're not jealous, then me looking into my past should be no problem."

"The problem with you looking into your past, Aporro, is it seems to distract you from your work." Szayel shook his head, still chuckling.

"What work?!" I sighed, exasperated. This was getting sad. "Szayel, you just blew up at me for sitting in a hall and thinking about my past, but the thing is I don't have anything else to be doing! This is my downtime from sword practice and studying; time you are also using as downtime to work on your experiments! You and I both know that following you around the lab, watching you work, isn't doing squat for me!" Really, it wasn't. I didn't understand half of what he was saying half of the time, and he was perfectly aware of that. "You just want me following you around so I can't think without you noticing, and the only real reason I can think of that you wouldn't want me to remember is that you're jealous!" I paused, giving him an exact replica of the 'Szayel brow quirk' and staring at him, "Unless, of course, you have a real reason for me not wanting to remember?"

"Post-traumatic stress."

"Think of something better than that."

"Advanced mental degradation."

"Can't you give me pills for that?"

"Possible false memories."

"At this point, I'd say anything is better than nothing."

"Then try being satisfied with what you have now."

I stared at him, blinking once, twice, thrice, a fourth… "…Satisfied with what I have now? WHAT DO I HAVE NOW, SZAYEL?!"

Szayel blinked.

"Everything I ever had is gone, alright?!" I went on, storming towards him, "You all here made sure of that! My family, my friends, Kohaku, whatever he was to me… It's all gone! How long have I been here?! Weeks?! Months?! Years?! I'd have nothing to go back to, and here what do I have?! Nothing! I get to walk around, free, just to look at what I can't have! Freedom! Power! You!"

Szayel blinked again.

"Who in the hell was I before I came here?! What ambitions did I have?! Hell, I don't know, but probably nothing like the ones I have here; survive, namely! 'Satisfied with what I have'?! Hell, Szayel, I'm looking forward to a life of experimentation, fighting, and ultimately an uncomfortable and probably painful _death_, alright?! I have _nothing_."

Just how had we gotten to this point? Up until now, we had been living in a sort of symbiotic relationship, though whether it was one of mutuality or commensality was still in debate in my head…

Still, either way, we had lived together in some semblance of peace, but now… it seemed that was crumbling. And, ultimately, I was the one who would pay.

Because he was the demon, and I was the human.

"Look at me, Szayel!" I held out my arms, begging him to take a look at me for all I was, "What am I?!"

A crude reflection of him.

A failed attempt at a clone.

Szayel prided himself on 'perfection'.

I was the opposite of that; I was a failure.

Just what was I in all of this…?

"You… are evolution."

I blinked, "What?"

"Evolution…" Szayel sighed, "You are imperfection seeking to perfect. You are attracted to perfection, and you will do anything to achieve it. You have adjustments made in your DNA with mine, yet your own flaws, not to mention the ones that came with the shortcomings of the Doppelganger Pill… Still, you're improving constantly. You are the ability to constantly move forward, and thanks to the Arrancar that has been mixed into you it is occurring at an accelerated rate. For your inferior species… you are the closest to perfection possible."

I blinked again, then balked, "Wh-what?"

"You are the closes to perfection possible for a member of the human species." Szayel reiterated, patient.

I blinked, opened my mouth, then closed it. For Szayel to say something like that… it was a damned big deal. And I couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"…Aporro, do us both a favor and give up on this futile search." Szayel started walking, veering slightly and intending to walk right passed me, back towards the lab. "Go and get some sleep."

And I was ready to do just that; trying to remember the past under my circumstances turned out to be emotionally draining. I was pretty damned tired…

Still, I had one last bit of unfinished business.

Just as he was about to pass me up completely, I reached out and grabbed Szayel by the arm, jerking him back towards me. I turned and pulled down on his arm, making him give slightly from the waist up and bend, pulling him down into a kiss.

"Hey…" I started when I pulled back a moment later, barely opening my eyes to meet his, "You don't have anything to worry about. I'm not looking to hook back up with him…"

The look on Szayel's face was priceless.

And the knock to the head I nursed on the way back to the room did nothing to subtract from the value.

* * *

Ah... the rating is going to go up to 'M' because after this things get rather... intimate.


	15. XV Wings

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"…Aporro, what are you doing?"

"…Lookin' at my pores." The mirror in Szayel's bathroom was _amazing_. You could stand at it from a regular level, like from behind the sink, and get a perfectly clear image of yourself. The closer you got, though, the more it seemed to magnify…

And getting a close-up of my pink hair, amber eyes, pale skin… It was awesome.

I mean, _man_, I could see the _fibers_ that made up my clothes.

I was bored, so here I was, sitting on the counter and leaning in as close to the mirror as I could without actually touching it, just… looking.

And don't say it's stupid; you know you've done it at least once.

"You know, I've been thinking…" My breath fogged up the icy glass. Call me childish, but it was cool, "Does my attraction to you count as some sort of sick form of narcissism? Or maybe even incest… considering my DNA structure was altered by yours…"

"…And why do you sound so pleased with that possibility?"

"Not pleased…" I pressed a finger to my lower lid and peeled it down, off of my eye, getting a good look at what was normally hidden by the lid. There were so many vessels… "Just amused." I glanced at him, letting the lid go, "It's funny, don't cha think?"

"…" Szayel smirked, "Oddly enough, I have to agree with you."

I snickered, then turned back to the mirror and tilted my head, watching as the muscles and tendons in my neck stretched, "You need something?"

"It's time for your fitting."

I sighed heavily, watching the glass fog again. I'd been dreading this… "You know your Fraccion aren't the brightest. I'll end up stabbed."

"Quite… Which is why I called Sir Ichimaru to assist…"

I froze, "…Ichimaru? As in Gin Ichimaru? Aizen's Ichimaru?"

"…The very same…"

I glanced at him, blinking, "So, Lord Aizen knows what I am supposed to be?"

"…" Szayel looked away, "More or less."

I blinked again, then smirked, "Some-one liiiii-iiiiiied…"

"…You have quite the singing voice."

"Thank you." I turned, dangling my legs off of the edge of the counter and bracing my hands on either side of my hips, leaning towards him and smirking, "But you're avoiding the subject. You lied to Aizen."

Szayel's lips twitched upward but he said nothing. "Sir Ichimaru is here. Best we not keep him waiting."

Turns out Gin was quite the tailor.

He was waiting in an open stretch of Szayel's front most lab, standing with beside a knee-high stool with a length of tape measurer draped around his neck, a pincushion fastened to his wrist, and several rolling racks draped with various sheaths of fabric behind him.

His ever-present grin widened a bit when Szayel and I walked in, "Why, hello thar, Miss Aporro. Pleasure to finally meetcha in person."

"Sir." I bowed, smiling.

"Thank you for your help, Sir Ichimaru." Szayel said from beside me, shifting his weight to one leg and crossing his arms.

"Not a problem, Szayel Aporro." Gin grinned as I straightened, gesturing to the stool, "I gotta tell ya, though, I don't think I'll be able ta replicate some parts o' Fornicaras…"

"I am fully aware of that." Szayel nodded, watching as I stepped up onto the stool, "Please do what you can. I can handle the rest."

"Alllllrighty, then." Gin turned to me, tilting his head, "Miss Aporro, if ya could please remove yer outer layers…"

I blinked, then nodded and unzipped my jacket, "Well, let's all thank the heavens Szayel isn't a complete pervert and gave me a bra, huh?" I tossed the jacket aside.

"Ah, that reminds me."

I jumped and yelped when I was stabbed in the back of the leg, wobbling and toppling off of the stool. I glared up at Szayel, who was smirking down at me and holding a syringe. "You son of a bitch!! Have we not been over this?! Warn be before you stab me!!" Any other insults I would have slung at him were cut short when my breath was stolen by the pain in my chest as my breasts started to shrink.

Groaning, I tore off my bra once I was flat chested and stood, stepping back up onto the stool and turning back to Gin, working on my hakama.

Gin was still grinning and tilting his head, though his smile seemed a bit sharper and his eyes weren't as heavily squinted, as if he were studying the interaction between Szayel and I. Which he probably was; the way Szayel talked about this guy made me think he was a conniving bastard.

I liked him already.

"Well, then, Miss Aporro," Gin began airily, grabbing a great length of white cloth and tossing it up, letting it fall heavily around my shoulders, "Let's get started, eh?"

* * *

"Thank you very much, Sir Ichimaru." Szayel sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead as I twirled around, giggling as the skirt billowed out, "Your help is much appreciated…"

Gin, though, wasn't really listening, I could tell. He was giggling along with me.

"Thank you, Mr. Gin!" I turned, curtseying to him.

He snickered and nodded, "Yer quite welcome, Miss Aporro."

I giggled, then promptly went back to skipping.

At some point or another, Gin left, and when I was done with my skipping and giggling tirade, I pranced back over to Szayel and crossed my arms behind my back, leaning forward slightly and grinning up at him, "Gotta say, for a fairy, you have some comfortable clothes."

Szayel twitched, muttering, "Now just the finishing touches…"

"Which would be?" I asked, blinking.

"That outfit," He pointed to me, "Is still lacking the hemming, the altered mask, the shoes, the hair and the markings. In addition, much of it must become part of your genetic code."

I stared at him, then slowly quirked a brow, "Uuuuuhhhh-huuuuuuuh…"

Szayel stared at me flatly, "Please curb your overwhelming faith in my abilities."

"Oh, I'd call it pretty much curbed right now."

He twitched, then turned away, "I assure you, it will be done."

* * *

I gotta hand it to the man, when Szayel wants something done, you can be sure as hell it will get done.

I don't even remember being knocked out, but when I woke up again it was complete, and I was as sore as hell.

"Ugh…"

Szayel smirked down at me, "Welcome back, Aporro. Tell me, how do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to kick you in the nuts if you don't wipe that smug look offa yer face." I grumbled, sitting up, "Uhh, what the…" I pressed a hand to my forehead, then winced and pulled it back. There was something thick and solid settled across my eyebrows. "Shiiiiit…" Ignoring whatever the hell Szayel was talking about, both because I didn't care and because I couldn't understand him passed all of this throbbing, thrumming pain, I sat up and turned, sliding off of the table and standing.

I nearly fell.

"…Why'm I in heels?"

"It's part of the uniform… and there are barely any heels there."

"There're enough." I slurred, leaning back and bracing myself against the table, "Not good in heels…"

"Well, now is a good time to start practicing. Now, look up—"

I yelped when he pinched the thick, solid band that went across my brow line and tilted my head up, flashing a light in my eyes. "Damn it, Szay!!" I waved at him weakly, but my hands were just as sore as the rest of me… Then, I noticed why.

Those freaky gloves with the little blood drop-like tips… Only they were purple. I blinked, then wiggled my fingers, tilting my head at how the tip jiggled like Jell-O… It was downright trippy.

"Uh…" When I tilted my head down, a clump of my hair caught my eyes and I looked at it, blinking and picking it up. The clump was all gathered at the tips by another one of those blood drop-like things, which like the fingertips was purple. "Alright… this is downright weird…" I reached up and touched the mask, flinching, "Damn it! Why is this so damned sore?!"

"Your nerves need time to settle… Now, hold still so I can get the check up finished."

I stood still, wincing as he ran his hands over the mask and worked down, "Why in the hell do I have working nerves in the mask… and the freaky little sacs at the end of my hair?"

"Because it's now all a major part of your anatomy, just like a real zanpakuto release."

"…It sucks."

Szayel sighed. "The effects are only temporary, please be patient. Now, then, as for the matter of your wings…"

Alright, now that got my attention. I looked up, excited, "I actually get wings?! As in, working wings?!"

"…'Working' insofar as they will serve the purpose they do as extensions of Fornicaras, yes."

"…WOOT!! LAY 'EM ON ME!"

Szayel quirked a brow, then shrugged and picked up a glass syringe from a nearby tray, checking the scarlet liquid inside before turning me around and stabbing me in the back.

"DAMN IT!!"

FYI, never tell Szayel to 'lay it on you'. He takes it quite literally, and usually it ends in copious amounts of pain and the almost overwhelming urge to kick his scrawny pale ass.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the pain doubled and I could feel my back splitting.

"GAAAAA!!" I doubled over, gripping the exam table until my knuckles turned white and screaming.

All of the warmth from the rest of my body fled to my back, focusing on four points, one by each shoulder blade on either side of my spine and two more at my midback, close to the small. The warmth built until it was burning, and I could feel hot streams of blood trailing down my back, scalding the cold skin.

"SZAYEEEL!! MAKE IT STOOOP!!"

"Nothing can be done about it until the transformation is complete!" He lifted me back onto the table and held me flat, stomach down. "Relax or you'll tear your trapizius and latissimi dorsi!"

Pressing my forehead to the table and arching my back, I screamed again as I felt four long _somethings_ surface, tear through, then sprout and stretch.

The initial stage of growth was the worst; skin splitting and wounds stretching open. After that it was just a long, drawn out process of four thick tendrils continuously emerging, growing, getting thicker and thicker, then thinning towards the end. The little blood drop-like sacks made it excessively uncomfortable, but not really that much more painful. It was an odd sensation… akin to the way one might imagine it feels to have plump, heavily segmented maggots burrow outwards from under ones skin, wriggling and writhing…

When it was all over I was completely relaxed… pained beyond reason, but relaxed. And drained. I didn't even have the energy to fight when Szayel took a low-pressure, handheld shower head to my back, washing the blood and other fluids off with warm water.

For once, he was actually exceedingly gentle, though it was probably due to the fact that he knew how damned painful growing these wings could be the first time around.

Still, for all of his care, it hurt like a bitch to be touched and I writhed beneath his hands.

"Calm down, Aporro." He muttered slowly, still working.

"It fuckin' hur— uuughhh…" I shuddered when he stroked the base of one of the wings. It didn't hurt… at all, actually. It felt rather… agh! My face was hot and I could feel the pressure of the blood caused by how heavily flushed I was.

It was… FINE, I ADMIT IT, DAMN IT!! IT WAS REAL FUCKIN' EROTIC!! Agh, it felt _amazing_!! Not only was the whole damned wing tingling, but so was my back, and my arms, and down my legs…

"Uhhh…whaaa…" I covered my head with my arms, glancing back at Szayel. He was smirking… "You sick fu— aahh… aaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuaaa…"

"What?" Szayel smirked, hands working down the stalks gently, "Is this not, in a sense, what you wanted? …And I do have a legitimate reason for doing this, you know." He paused, stroking one of the hanging appendages, "Have to make sure the blood is flowing correctly, have to make sure the nerves settle… Check for open sores, make sure you can move them…"

I bit my lip hard when one finger trailed up the side of the drop-like appendage to the stalk, clamping my eyes shut and whining.

"Well… you seem…" Szayel murmured thoughtfully, stroking down the stalk to my back, "Particularly sensitive…"

"S-stop… it…"

"Hmm?" He just stroked it again, vindictive bastard… "'Stop'? Surely you jest, Aporro." Szayel leaned in, bracing his hands on either side of my back and pressing close. "You didn't answer my earlier question; is this not what you wanted?"

Ooooooo, that was an unfair question.

…Yes and no, really. I _wanted_ something like this, but not when I couldn't move. Damn it, _I_ wanted to destroy _him_, not the other way around! …And I preferably wanted it when we were both able to respond… Or when he couldn't. Yeah, that would be pretty hot… Agh!

Growling, I swung my arm back and elbowed him in the hip, yelping when it hurt me. "D-damn nerves…" Ugh, those damn drip-hems on the sleeves… They actually had nerves in them…

"Aporro…" Szayel sighed, pulling back and smirking, "You really are human."

I glanced back at him, frowning, "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing." Szayel sat back, thinking, "I'll give you a low dosage of tramadol… It'll reduce the pain and help you sleep until everything is back to a level you can stand without me having to listen to you complain." He muttered the last part so I could barely hear him.

I blinked, "What was that?"

"Nothing. Goodnight, Aporro."

And I was stabbed. Again.

Right in the freakin' back. Which still freakin' hurt!!

I swear, I am so gonna kick Szayel's ass later…


	16. XVI Invaders

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Alright, so I know I said I was gonna kick Szayel's ass… But I hadn't quite gotten around to it. Quite frankly, and yes I will be frank… for once… Anyway, frankly, I was scared.

…Don't look at me like that!! I had a damned good reason to be scared!!

When I'd woken up I was on my bed, back to my regular self and in my clothes, I'd panicked. I hadn't been all that lucid to really realize what had transpired between Szayel and I while my wings were growing, but as soon as I'd woken up… Well, let's just say the tramadol had worn off.

Damn it, if it wasn't the most erotic experience of my life, then I enjoyed having pink hair.

…That's sarcasm, people. I _hate_ pink.

So, yeah, I have to ask, why me? If it wasn't enough discovering firsthand that being male wasn't fun, I had to discover firsthand that Fornicaras' wings were a major erogenous zone. I just _haaaaad_ to, didn't I, Mr. Vindictive-God-Who-Was-Off-Somewhere-Getting-His-Jollies-From-Watching-Me-Squirm?

Ugh, just thinking about it made my face heat up…

After a brief pause to think, I blinked and realized something. Szayel had teased me. Sexually. Willingly. He had come on to me… Szayel had hit on me!!

…Okay, so maybe not 'hit on me', but damn it if it wasn't close enough! He knew what my reaction meant and he kept on going. He knew it was arousing, and he went at it… with some fervor, I might add.

…Alright, so you're all going to look away as Aporro does something really stupid and childish, okay? Because Aporro is going to take his advance as an 'okay' for her to make her own multitude of sexual advances.

And damn it if she wasn't going to make him pay tenfold for taking advantage of her when she was unable to move!

…And yes. Aporro will stop referring to herself in the third person.

…Riiiiiiiiight…. Now.

* * *

I waited until Szayel was alone, in his private training room, to act.

"Hey, Szayel." I purred, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and rubbing his stomach.

Szayel tensed immediately. "…Aporro… what are you doing?"

Smirking, I leaned in and whispered, "Paying you back for what you did…" I then nuzzled a bit of his hair aside and kissed the exposed part of his neck, right under his jaw—

And then the world had inverted and my head was dizzy and pained… as were my shoulders. Which I was laying on… But just my shoulders. The rest of my body was propped up against the wall.

Yep, Szayel had hit me and knocked me back, and I was upside down and leaning back against the wall.

I blinked, then let my legs go lax and hit the ground, blinking as Szayel with my knees on either side of my head.

"What? You can tease me but I can't tease you? Nice double standard, dickweed." I barely twitched when I was shocked. Man, that shock collar was getting to be less and less effective…

"What do you mean, 'double standard'?!"

"…Dude, first off," I flipped over and stood, fixing my glasses, "Don't play stupid. You know what I mean. Second, don't fight; we'll get to the fun stuff a lot quicker if you just give in." I lunged.

Surprisingly, Szayel didn't run. Either he was shocked or the part of him that wanted this won out and took control of his legs. Either way he was unmoved until I slammed into him and pinned him to the ground, straddling his hips.

I blinked down at him, "Wow, Szayel, no attempt to use sonido at all? Not even a half-assed attempt at a small cero to knock me back? That's saaaaaaad, man."

I was prepared to go on. I was prepared to say so many things. What I wasn't prepared for, though, was to be shocked into falling forward, forehead crashing painfully to the ground beside Szayel's head but pleasurable, tingling heat spreading through my body from my groin.

Szayel had bucked up against me.

"I told you," He grunted, bucking up again, his groin rubbing against mine, "Not to tempt fate."

"And I said," I began to counter between a gasp and a moan, "That it was funny to hear a logical man like yourself," I shuddered, moaning loudly, then panted on, "Talk about fate…"

Szayel snarled and grabbed my neck, pushing my head up and forcing me to meet his eyes, "I am the alpha and omega of this lab." Again, his hips rolled up, "In here, I am fate."

"Aaaaaah…" I smirked, "So, when I tempt fate, I'm really tempting you…" I pressed my hips down, hard, and ground against him in retaliation, smirk widening slightly when his eyelids fluttered closed, "Tempted yet?"

He smirked, voice acidic, "Hardly."

When I ground down again and he hissed through tightly clenched teeth, I leaned in when his grip on my throat went lax and brushed my lips against his cheek, "I'd say you are…"

"M-Master Szayel Aporro! Master Aporro!"

Szayel and I froze, turning towards the doorway and looking at the nervous pair of Lumina and Verona.

Complete idiots though they were, they had their hands held up in front of their beady little eyes, and my face reddened dramatically. Damned perceptive little rodents…

"What is it?" Szayel asked, making me jump suddenly when I remembered he was under me.

"I-Intruders, Master!" Lumina cried, torn between lowering his hands and keeping them up.

"Lord Aizen has called for you, Master!" Verona cried, keeping her hands in place, "Intruders have broken into Las Noches!"

I scrambled up when Szayel jerked under me, grabbing his hand and pulling him with me.

"Go to the third lab." He ordered, looking directly at me, "Be on standby." He sighed, looking around, "There wasn't even the slightest increase to indicate any 'intrusion'… They must not be very strong…" Szayel sighed again, then walked out.

I stared after him, shocked, crimson, and very disappointed. Damn it, I was still aroused… and nowhere near satisfied.

"Master Aporro!" I blinked and turned to the Fraccion, who had lowered their hands. "Third lab is this way! Follow us, Master Aporro!"

Sighing, I jogged after them, then started to run when panic gripped my chest and made my heart pound.

Szayel had never given me an order like "Be on standby"… And the third lab…

The third lab was where he kept my enhancements.

I ran passed Lumina and Verona, heart beating even harder.

He had acknowledged… the possibility that it might be time to actually act as his battle stand-in.

Oh. Shit.

* * *

By the time Szayel got back, I was pacing. Frantically. With my left hand held out flat in front of me at waist level and the side of my right tapping against it over and over.

I had tried sitting, but my leg had started bouncing. When my bouncing leg hadn't burned nearly the energy my pounding heart kept pouring into my body, I'd tried standing. Before I knew it, I was pacing.

It was spending energy and keeping my muscles from burning with nervous anticipation, and it was helping me dissociate.

I sooooo did not want to be here right now…

"Calm down." Szayel sighed heavily, making my jump and scream.

I hadn't even realized he had walked back in… "So… What's… going on?"

"Three humans who know Orihime Inoue have arrived in Hueco Mundo and are on their way to Las Noches." Szayel said, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one hip, "They may well arrive in Las Noches soon… We have been put on alert."

"Just alert?" I blinked, "Is someone being sent for them?"

He shook his head, "No. Lord Aizen has decided that if they can get to Las Noches, they will be dealt with here by whosever path they cross."

"…Isn't that a bit… well, stupid?" I shrugged when he blinked at me, "What? What if the Arrancar they encounter is weaker than them?"

Szayel shrugged, "Then they would do us the favor of disposing of that Arrancar. Any one of us weak enough to be killed by a human is of no use to Lord Aizen."

"…Cold bastard."

"Wipe that glare from your face." Szayel rolled his eyes, "And get ready for combat."

"…" I shuffled back slightly, nervous again, "What makes you so sure I'll have to do anything?"

At the wide smirk on Szayel's face, I felt my heart stop. He only used that smirk if…

"As if I would let the chance to collect specimens slip by, Aporro."

…if he was planning on doing something conniving.

* * *

"You can actually switch the floors around?! Cool!!"

…Alright, so by all accounts, I shouldn't be this excited. It was clear that in whatever war was being fought here, Szayel, the other Espada and Lord Aizen were all on the 'bad' side.

I wasn't a bad person, but… I really had no desire to escape with these 'good' guys…

Then again, I also didn't have any desire to help Szayel kill them.

Which, hopefully, I could avoid by weakening them and helping Szayel collect them as specimens.

…Then again, Szayel was notably cruel with his specimens… Maybe I really should try to kill them, just to save them that fate…

I'd do what Szayel was doing now and screw with the floor plan, but, like I said, he was doing it, and I highly doubted I'd be able to get into this room again; it had a palm and eye combo scanner at the door, and as even if my eyes passed the test my hand sure as hell wouldn't.

Then, a thought came to me.

"Sz… Szayel…"

He didn't look up from the computer, "Hmm?"

"…What… what if I'm… not… ready?"

His fingers, which hand been moving furiously across the keyboard, froze. He turned towards me slowly, making me shuffle nervously and look down. "…Do you sense a malfunction within yourself, Aporro?"

"N-… no…?" I sighed, "Szayel, you've made my body as damned near perfect as you can, but… what if I can't keep up with it? What if I fail? What if… I die…"

"Oh, is that all you're worried about?"

Had my blood not frozen, my body gotten stiff, and my brain stopped working, I would have hit him. Hard. Right in the throat.

Szayel rolled his eyes and turned back to the terminal, typing, "Aporro, each one of the traps I have laid has been designed to keep you alive and sway the battle to your advantage. If you do die, it will be because you made a supremely moronic mistake."

And just like that, the wind was out of my sails, "Designed… to keep… me alive?"

"Correct." Szayel glanced back at me, "And you will have all of my Fraccion at your call, and you will have me in your head to guide your actions and words."

Alright, Fraccion I could deal with. But… that last part? "You… in my head?"

"Quite…" Szayel nodded, "In that last procedure I performed, I took the liberty of installing a two-way radio-of-sorts into your head… I'd explain it further, but you're still lacking in basic academic intelligence in many ways, and I'm busy working."

"…I have a two-way radio in my head?!"

"For all intents and purposes, yes. Now, please stop talking."

I glared at the back of Szayel's head, considered hitting him for a moment, then huffed loudly and turned, storming out.

Of course, go figure I would figure out that Szayel had become a calming force to me _after_ I left his presence; after the door had shut I remembered what was going to be happening in mere hours and I panicked.

And, as I had predicted, the door wouldn't open for me.

"Szayel!!" I banged on the door, "Szaaaaaayeeeel!! Open up!!"

An intercom somewhere overhead crackled, "_You walked out, you stay out._"

"Szayel, I need to be with someone right now!! I'm scared…"

"_Then go interact with Lumina and Verona; they're preparing your enhancements, anyway, and you should be near them._"

"Szayel, I don't want to be with them!!" I banged harder, "Let me in, damn it!!"

"_Why, so you can distract me? Thank you, but I'd sooner learn to deal with your 'distractions' at a later time, when we aren't so pressed._"

"Szayel, don't make me run off and hide from you!!"

"_Even if you did, you would be unsuccessful. I planted a tracking device in the base of your skull._"

"…You son of a bi—"

"_Run along, now._"

"Szayel, let me in!!"

Silence.

He could still hear me, the bastard… "This is the song! This is the song! This is the song that never ends! And it goes on and on my friend! Some people started singing, not knowing what it was! And they'll continue singing it forever just because… This is the song that never ends! And it goes on and on my frie—" I ducked inside when the door opened.

Szayel was standing beside his chair, arms crossed and weight shifted to one hip, head tilted to one side so that his bangs fell across his narrowed eyes…

"Just so you know, you're really sexy when you stand like that."

Szayel twitched.

"And that blush only adds to it."

"Aporro, go sit in that corner and shut up." He turned and sat back down.

I stared at his back for a moment, then shuffled over and sat down by his chair.

If Szayel saw me, he said nothing.

I waited a moment, then leaned over and rested my head against his hip.

Szayel twitched, but still said nothing.

'…………Hmmmmmm……………' I reached up and… well…

Szayel hit me in the side of the head, twitching, "Aporro, keep your hands to yourself."

I nodded, cradling my head. Damn it, he had a mean bitch slap…


	17. XVII Surrounded by Idiots

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I couldn't help it.

When the redhead actually fell for the _most obvious trap_ in Szayel's arsenal, I burst into laughter.

It sounded odd because of the voice-changing serum, and it was magnified by the microphone headpiece Szayel had coaxed into my ear (yes, coaxed. the damned thing had a freakin' creepy tail on it that went _into_ and _down_ my ear.) and echoed around the room.

"Jackpot!!" I snickered, "I set out quite a few traps, all of various designs and purposes, but to think someone would be caught by the simplest one!!" I laughed again, harder.

'_Aporro!_' Szayel shouted, using the damned two-way radio in my head. '_Compose yourself!!_'

"…Oops…" I sighed. "My apologies. Maybe I should have introduced myself first…" I waited until the door had opened completely to step out into the hall. "I will only say it once, so I do hope you remember it. I am the eighth Espada…" I reached up, pulling the headpiece out of my ear, barely managing to suppress a disgusted shudder as I turned to the redhead and grinned, "Octava Espada, Szayel Aporro Grantz." I had the oddest urge to strike a pose and use a funny accent…

'_Please,_' I could imagine Szayel twitching, '_Don't. I don't want to have to take control of your body so early on._'

'Fine, fine…' Man, there was so much freakin' smoke… Why Szayel had to have a fog machine to accompany me as I walked out the door, I don't know. That guy had a weird thing about ambiance…

Alright, so now that I was in the same room as the redhead, I took the time to get a better look at him… That, and the rather amusing scene between him and a giant, polka dotted, tiki-masked Arrancar that fell out of another one of Szayel's traps bought me about two minutes.

Beneath the rather pointless cape he had tied around his neck, he was wearing a black hakama/kosode combo, a white band tied around his head, and a rather attractive sword strapped to his waist…

Alright, I wanted that sword. It looked a lot more practical than Fornicaras.

"My ass!!" The polka dotted Arrancar with the huge mask was screaming, "My ass hurts so bad, yo!!"

…No duh. You just shot out of a tube and landed ass-first on the redhead.

"And the inside 'a that hole was scary, too, yooo!! Owwwiiiiiieee!!"

'…Alright, what was I worried about?'

Szayel sighed, '_The precise reason I told you not to worry, Aporro. The intruders are morons._'

Polka dot finally stopped wailing and noticed me.

He gasped.

I stared at him flatly. 'Moron…'

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-you!!" He pointed at me, standing, tears leaking out of his mask, "You're the Octava Espada, Sir Szayel Aporro!!"

…Alright, so I could get used to being revered. It felt nice.

"Sir Szayel Aporro!" Polka dot went on, "He's the top researcher and spiritual weapons development specialist in Hueco Mundo!!"

…Wouldn't it have been more correct to say Las Noches? I don't think there are too many researchers out among the Hollows…

"Renji?" Polka dot blinked, looking down when the redhead screamed at him to "GET OFF, DAMN IT!!", "What're you doin' under my bottom, yo?"

The redhead, Renji, retaliated with a well-placed blow to Polka dot's face.

'…'

'…Szayel, please tell me you aren't serious…'

'…_Unfortunately, I can't. These morons are part of the intruding force._'

'…Does Las Noches security suck _this_ badly?!'

'…'

"Shut up, you idiot!" Renji snapped at Polka dot, "Keep whining and I'll kick you again!!" As an afterthought, he frowned and looked down, gingerly lifting his foot from the ground, "Your face is real freakin' hard…"

I couldn't take it anymore. I took a step forward, grinning with annoyance when they looked at me, "I think that's about enough of this farce." When Renji narrowed his eyes, his hand settling on the hilt of his zanpakuto, I held up my hands and smiled, "Whoa, take it easy… I may be an Espada, but my combat level isn't very high at all…" Dude, you pull that thing on me and _I will die_!! "Like the big one said, I'm a 'researcher'." More like a freakin' sadist. "If I'm here, it means tha—"

"Hold it." Renji cut me off, drawing his zanpakuto. Oh, shit… "What the hell are you on, man? I didn't come here to chitchat with you. I came to beat your guys' asses to the ground."

…Damn it. _It just had to be a brainless melee fighter, didn't it?!_ I stared at him, twitching.

"Ban… kai!!"

'…Bankai? Wait, I know that word… Shit, Szayel—' My mind shut down when a strange-looking bone-serpent began to form around Renji.

'_Calm down, Aporro._'

"Hihio—!!" There was a pause, shudder and crack, then the serpent thing shattered.

'_I told you, Aporro; these rooms are designed to protect you._'

"…See?" Szayel took over my body for a moment, prompting my words, "That's because you didn't listen to what I was saying." Catching on, I took over and smirked, "In this room… you cannot use your bankai."

"…I can't…" Renji started after a moment, struggling to speak, "Use… my bankai…?"

"Yes, that is correct." I giggled, tapping my temple, "It's good to say it out loud to confirm it. Not bad for an idiot."

'_Aporro, you're hardly one to talk._'

'Shut up or I'll start tap-dancing.' "The information on your bankai from its form, abilities and reiatsu… right down to its spirit particle composition… I have it all logged and recorded." Szayel, having said this part, let me say the rest, "Commensurate with that information, I set up a mechanism in this hall that seals your bankai."

"…Complete information on my bankai?" Renji began after a moment, in confused disbelief, "Only someone who took my bankai head-on would know that… How in the hell did you…"

Szayel was silent.

He didn't need to say anything; even I knew this part.

"…My brother…"

Renji scowled, "…What?"

Alright, this annoyed me a bit. I knew that this redheaded clown was the one who fought Illforte… "Do you remember my name?" I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, answering my own question, "Ah, you are probably unable to… I guess I have no choice but to say it again." I smirked, shifting my weight to one leg, "My name is Szayel Aporro Grantz… Illforte Grantz was my older brother."

Renji balked, brown eyes narrowing in disbelief, "Him…?!"

"Oh?" I smiled, "You remember that scum?" That perverted blonde bastard… "I really must thank you for that." I never really liked him.

"…From the way you're talking," Renji started after a moment, stance tensing slightly, "I take it you don't want to avenge your brother?"

I snickered at this, "Ha! Avenge Illforte? Now _that_ is something only an idiot would think. You think that's the reason I targeted you? I gained the information on your bankai from the reiatsu-recording parasites I infested my brother's body with while I was healing him. To me, he was nothing more than a box for said insects… And I'm not about to throw a tantrum for having my box broken."

"You're a real piece of shit." The shinigami snarled.

No, Illforte was. And hearing that from someone I didn't know… It derailed me. "Well… that's a completely unexpected thing to say… I feel a bit lightheaded…" And I did. I wasn't used to having people call me things like that. "…Whatever." I reached for Fornicaras, "At any rate, you have no way to win or escape… Do us both a favor and don't struggle…" I started to draw…

It was time. It was really time. My first time fighting with an enemy that intended to kill me… My first assignment as Szayel's doppelganger. My blood was rushing and I felt… Amazingly levelheaded and clear… Though extremely energized.

"This is my first time directly observing a subject who can use bankai. To be honest, I'm excited."

Szayel said nothing, though I could almost feel how stunned he was through this weak connection…

"Don't struggle… And do try to die with your body as intact as possible." I grinned, "It's a real bitch to study a shredded corpse."

'_Aporro—_'

I took a step back as Renji snarled and raised his zanpakuto, "Howl, Zabimaru!"

Go figure the goddamned sword was segmented, and thank that same god that damned that I was… alright, I suppose, at dodging. I could be better, but at least I wasn't hit.

"You know…" I tilted my head, "That shikai won't do much to me." It was true. Szayel had told me as much when he had injected my enhancements.

I bent far back when the zanpakuto stretched out, bracing myself with one hand against the ground behind me and blinking when the metal flashed overhead. Damn, that was close…

Once the blade retracted, I straightened and shook slightly, groaning when my back popped. The human body was _soooo_ not meant to bend that way.

Suddenly, the redhead was in front of me, raising his sword over his head.

'_Aporro! Reiatsu!_'

Twitching, I doubled the usual strength of my bubble and expanded it, jumping back when it knocked Renji back, disintegrating the front of his cape. Okay, so maybe in the panic I might have poured a bit more than double the strength into the bubble… I wasn't too sure. I had jumped at Szayel's suggestion and reacted; no real measurement or logic in mind.

"Master Szayel Aporro!! Maaaaaaaaasssttteeeeeer!!"

I jumped slightly, glancing, "Lumina…? Verona? …What is it?"

"Aaroniero, Master!!" Verona started.

"Dead!!" Lumina finished, "Deeeeeeady dead-dead!!"

"Hmm?" 'Szayel?'

"…Yes, it's true." Szayel took over my body for a moment, "A report has come in… I was so preoccupied with this I didn't notice." Feeling his sadistic joy on the other end, I couldn't help but smirk, "Oh? It says they killed each other, Mr. Shinigami."

'His name is Renji.'

'_And I don't particularly give a damn._'

"What're…" Renji panted, glaring at me suspiciously, "You talking about?"

"I'm saying," Szayel went on, still speaking through me, "That a friend of yours and one of the Espada killed each other at the same time! Congratulations!" I clapped, "That's quite the achievement!"

When I saw the disbelief and panic in Renji's eyes, I felt bad… "How do you know they…"

'Szayel, just sto—'

"You still don't get it?" Szayel went on, giggling, "If you're being optimistic, give up. I even have the name of the deceased…" My eyes locked with Renji's and I grinned, "One named 'Kuchiki'… That's your friend's name, correct?"

Szayel had to actually take complete control of my body and adjust my reiatsu bubble, himself, to block the subsequent attack Renji unleashed. I groaned in the back of my throat when Zabimaru lashed out and struck the back of my arm, making the bones creak.

"A predictable reaction… You really are interesting."

'Szayel, are you _trying_ to get my ass handed to me?!'

'_Aporro, control yourself and get back to the fight._' "But, how many times do I have to tell you?" Szayel went on, only digging me deeper, "Using only your shikai, you cannot possibly hope in injure an Espa—"

Then my world was a bright, burning red. Only Szayel clamping my mouth shut kept me from screaming, but nothing stopped the tears that pricked the corners of my eyes at the pain that bloomed in my head… tears and blood. Shit, I was _bleeding_!!

'Damn it, Szayel, stop pissing him off!'

'_Aporro, I told you, you will be fine._'

'Of course the one who's watching this whole damned thing from behind his precious computer doesn't give a damn, but damn it Szayel, I'm bleeding!!'

'_And the clotting serum I put in your system will stop that soon enough, now get your head back in the fight before you actually get yourself killed!_'

"That's enough outta you…"

I blinked, tightening my grip on Fornicaras when I saw Renji glaring at me, pissed.

"Get outta my way!!"

Damn it. I forced a smirk, "Ha…" But it was weak… Damn it, I couldn't do this!! Szayel had forced him into a goddamned blind rage, and this 'Kuchiki' person had made Renji all the more desperate, and thus more dangerous.

'SHIT!!'

'_Aporro!_'

Ignoring Szayel completely, I stepped out of the way as Renji brought his extended sword down, gritting my teeth. Screw him. Szayel had gotten me into this shitty situation, I wasn't listening to him anymore. I'd handle this on my own.

I caught a shard of his sword that broke off from the segment near my feet, glancing at it.

Really, it wasn't that hard at this point: Renji was a beat-downer; he'd keep trying to beat the shit out of me until he either won or tired himself out. And, considering this room was rigged to work to my advantage, I was willing to bet the latter happened first.

"I've lost interest in this." I sighed, tossing the blade shard aside, rolling my eyes when Lumina and Verona giggled and cackled.

"…What did you say?!" Renji hissed through clenched teeth.

"I said," I threw him a flat look, "That I've lost interest in this. Have you lost the ability to comprehend words on top of being incapable of accepting reality?" I pointed to his zanpakuto, "Your zanpakuto is a raw-power type; really, nothing out of the ordinary. The theory behind its shape change is rather simple, as well." I sighed, "I know it's rude of me to say, but there's nothing more worth seeing here." That, and I wanted to get back to Szayel so I could kick his ass. This was stupid.

Renji just stared at me, exhausted and panting.

Yep; he'd tired himself out. Remember? Even Aporro knew this would happen, and Aporro can be pretty stupid. What, when you wave a sword around like he did, wasting energy on pointless attacks, it was bound to happen.

Really, I felt pretty bad for him; he was getting the shit beat out of him by someone who wasn't even an Espada… Yes, the room was swaying things majorly in my favor, and yes I had barely dodged a few times, and yes Szayel had had to take control at some points, but still…

"…Shall we finish this up?" I asked, pulling the Fraccion summoning device Szayel had given me out of my collar.

I wasn't gonna let this guy become Szayel's guinea pig, no matter how much he pissed me off. Might as well let the Fraccion finish him off…

I felt the reverberations of several doors behind me breaking open, as well as the increase of pressure as the Fraccion poured out and took their places.

"…Fraccion." I informed at Renji's scared-shitless stare. "As proof of our supremacy, we Espada are given the right to select subordinates from the Arrancar numbered eleven and above to supervise directly. These are they; the Fraccion." I shrugged, crossing my arms, "Some Espada only chose one, some many, and some none at all. My Fraccion, though… are different. They are Hollows I modified personally and had Lord Aizen turn into Arrancar."

…As a side note, it had taken _a lot_ of practice and study to get all of this right. And I still didn't entirely understand the situation here with numbers and ranks…. It was confusing shit.

"Well, enough with the idle chatter." Renji was looking pretty bad; might as well take pity on him. I held the elbow of one arm and used that arm to straighten my glasses; it was hard to look at him, so beaten up… "At any rate, you're no longer worth dealing with directly by me." That, and I don't think I could bring myself to kill. "And now, the curtain call…"

'_Aporro, look ou—!!_'

I froze at the huge explosion behind me.

When the explosion was followed by a loud, low moan, I turned back, eyes widening as I watched one of the Fraccion, Medazeppi, I think, fall.

"…The fact that the buildings in Las Noches aren't made from sekkiseki," A new voice began, making me jump slightly and turn again, "Is rather unfortunate for you all. Reiatsu reverberates all the way through three of these walls."

…I had no clue what this guy (at least, I think it was a guy; he sounded a bit effeminate… not that I had room to talk) was talking about, but I had a feeling he was mocking me…

Just where… Ah-hah!! There he was!! Waaaaaay up there, standing on the rim of a hole in the wall.

I blinked.

Some dark-haired, pale kid with a gigantic glowing shuriken-looking-thing in one hand.

He smirked, looking down at Renji, "What's wrong? You seem a little worse for the wear, Renji Abarai!"

…Seriously; pot, kettle, black? This kid's clothes were torn and bloodstained, his little cape thing was all but gone, he had blood leaking into his right eye from a gash on his forehead, and one side of his bangs was about half an inch shorter than the other, the tear ragged. Renji was waaaay better off than he was.

"You…" Renji stared, "…Uryu Ishida!"

I watched silently, deadpanned.

Still, I knew what this meant; a two against one fight.

Oh. Shit.


	18. XVIII Aporro Sucks at Fighting

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

'Hey, Szayel? You wanna come take over now?'

'_Aporro, calm down. This new energy is even weaker than the shinigami; you have nothing to worry about._'

'Dude, he just pwned Medazeppi! He may not look like much, but hell that shuriken-thing is a bitch!'

'_Aporro, pay attention._'

'…There's not much to pay attention to; the Fraccion are still wailing.'

Poor things… They had all gathered around Medazeppi's corpse and were lamenting… Though, really, they were being louder than necessary.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"Medazeppi!!"

"MEDAZEPPI!!"

"OOOOOOOWWWAAAA!!"

"Medazeppi!! Medazeppi was KILLED!!"

Whichever one of them had finally grown half a brain and used the word 'killed' got the others riled up.

"Killed!!"

"KILLED!!

"KILLED BY THAT BASTARD!!"

"That bastard!"

"That bastard killed Medazeppi!!"

They all continued to moan, scream and shout at the boy perched waaaay up in the hole he had created in the wall. He was smirking down, eyes scanning the situation, and muttering to himself.

…Aaaah, shit. Another damned intellectual.

Maybe not as big a one as Szayel, but any intellectual was enough.

I'm screwed.

'_Aporro, pay attention. He's looking right at you._'

I blinked, then smirked when I saw Szayel was right. 'Uryu' was looking right at me… And damn it, if he didn't have such a sour face on when we locked eyes, he might have looked half-decent. He had really pretty eyes.

The wailing over Medazeppi was still going on, and while I sympathized with them, listening to it was pissing me off. They had no concept of volume control…

"SHUT!! UP!!"

The Fraccion stopped immediately and the room fell silent, everyone turning to me.

"Our guest has something to say." I said clearly, pointedly, glaring at each of the Fraccion so they lowered their eyes. I then smiled up at Uryu, "Let's listen to him, shall we?"

"…Thank you for your consideration." Uryu began, smiling back, "I know it's somewhat sudden, but I need to confirm something…" He then turned serious, "Are you… an Espada?"

Hell no, I'm a human being held against my will! Save me!! "Such insight…" Yeah, those pleas for help never quite left my mouth. I raised my arm and gestured to myself, "I am, indeed, the Octava Espada, Szayel Aporro Grantz." No, actually, I'm a hormonally impaired human female who's had her chest flattened and her voice deepened. But who in the hell was gonna believe that?

"Octava…" Uryu nodded, "The eighth…" He then smirked, "That's a relief. Eight doesn't seem like a particularly strong number."

…Alright, fuck what I had said earlier. I am _soooooooo _letting Szayel cut this one to shit.

"That's right." I smiled, narrowing my eyes and sharpening my tone, "Please, be at ease. However, I'm still higher than you." Waaaaay higher than you, you pale-skinned pansy. "By the way… Who are you?" I wanna write your name on your specimen jars personally. Prick.

"Uryu Ishida." Uryu nodded, "A Quincy."

….Huh? A flower? Oh, nooooo…. That was 'quince'…

Before I even got to ask, though, Szayel took over my body again, "QUINCY?!" …Okay, so apparently he knew what that was. No need to shout it, Szay. "The rare breed that fought with that whore?! HA!!"

…Okay, did Szayel just say 'whore'? Because if he did, I soooo get to slap him in retaliation for when he'd slapped me after using that same word to describe Loly.

"First a bankai user, then a Quincy!! I have such good luck!!" And, apparently, I have none. "If I were Yammy, I would probably by on the verge of shouting _suerte_!!"

Uryu stared at me in shock, then disappeared.

I froze as I was given control again.

"Well…" Uryu began from behind me, "I don't know about this 'Yammy' guy…" I turned, freezing again when I saw him pointing that glowing shuriken-thing at me, "But being able to fight an opponent such as yourself, who is so full of openings, makes me feel like shouting _suerte_, myself."

It wasn't until after he shot the damned thing that I realized what his weapon was; a bow.

A huge, blue-rimmed white, crackling bow of angry energy. I could almost feel the heat from where I stood; that kind of jumpy, sparking heat from an electric fire. Damn it, that thing would freakin' burn me!!

And that beam of white light coming straight for me…

I couldn't respond fast enough…

'Szay…'

…Not before I was freakin' shot through the neck.

…Holy shit…

SONOVA BITCH!!

BURN!!

HOT, HOT, HOOOOOOOOOOT!!

ANGRY BURNING!! ALL THROUGH MY NECK!!

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!

SZAYEEEEEEL!!

'_Aporro, calm down!!_'

HOW IN THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?!

"…k…ka…" I fell to my knees, head lolling forward to stare at the damned burning energy arrow that was still sticking out of my neck.

…shit… I'm dead…

"M… Master Szayel Aporro!!"

The Fraccion started screaming, and I swear I heard either Lumina or Verona, the only two who knew I wasn't really Szayel, shout "Master Aporro".

If I looked up, I swear I could see the Quincy looking at me with something akin to pity…

Oh, hell, when you find out that you just killed a human, you prick, you're gonna feel more than just pity!! I'm Gonna Haunt You And Your Family For Seven Generations!!

'…_Aporro, get ready to stand. That arrow is about to break._'

'…Huh?'

And then it did.

Right before my very eyes, the arrow shattered, and the room went dead silent, shock so thick in the air it was palpable.

…Holy shit… I was alive!!

Happy beyond belief, I threw my head back and laughed, barely keeping the tears at bay.

Ooooooooh yeeeeeaaaah… I needed to rub this in pretty-eye's face!!

"You're such a fool!!" I shrieked, throwing my head forward and grinning at him, "Did you really think an arrow from the likes of you could penetrate me?!" …Alright, so I had thought it just as much as he had. But I wasn't going to admit that!! In character, here!! "It stuck him!! It went right through!! Is that what you thought?!"

At this point, Szayel took over.

"Didn't you think something was strange when I knew who you had fought against!!" He cackled, pointing to Uryu, "I've already analyzed all of your abilities, Quincy!!"

Uryu flinched, then dodged when a Fraccion shot passed me and attacked him.

Catching on, I stood and muttered "It's no use" when he shot at the Fraccion, smirking when the arrow shattered before even reaching it.

'_I'm about to take his bow away._'

When another Fraccion went for him and he shot again, I tilted my head and let my smirk widen.

"Hey… Say goodbye to that, too." I had a huge grin on when his bow shattered. He was just about to get a lovely blow to the face by the same huge-fisted Fraccion he had tried to attack when Renji jumped back in, blocking the hit. I pouted, "Damn it…"

"Don't just stand there!" Renji shouted, throwing a glare over his shoulder at Uryu, "You can still fight, right?! Finding flaws is your specialty, right?! So does that mean there's no way to counter his dirty tricks?!"

Hey, I resented that!! It was only because of those dirty tricks that this was a playing field I could compete on…

I stood back, hiding my nervousness behind a Szayel-smirk as they started to talk. Brawn plus brain meant Aporro was screwed…

'_Calm down, Aporro. I said I would handle this…_'

'It'd be a lot easier for you to 'handle' if you were here, yourself.'

'_Nonsense. You're doing fine._'

We both fell silent for a moment, watching them mutter to one another.

Then, when they had apparently finished, Szayel took over again. "Don't interfere." He ordered his Fraccion, his glee making me smirk, "I'm intrigued. I shall observe directly what they have thought of in their present state."

'You lying son of a bitch!! I'm the one who has to 'observe it directly'!!'

'_Aporro, calm down and pay attention._'

I swear, if he tells me to "calm down" one more time, I will do something stupid just to make him look bad.

Then, when Renji stepped forward, I blinked and tilted my head slightly when he let his zanpakuto extend and started spinning it over his head. "Well… I was wondering what you'd come up with…" Though I hadn't expected it to look so stupid. When he swung down, it seemed to be in slow motion. I narrowed my eyes, "But it's just more brute force!!" I swung Fornicaras to the side and blocked. "…How pointless." Especially if _I_ could block it.

Then, somehow, Renji was in front of me, grabbing my collar and near jerking me off of my feet. I was too shocked and slow to react as he pressed close, his zanpakuto jumping to life and wrapping around us both.

I twitched.

Alright, so you know what I like about Szayel's body? He's lean. Nice and slender, with very subtle muscle structures. It makes him smooth and easy to lean into, and even easier to get comfortable against. And he's always nice and freshly clean.

Now that I was pressed up against Renji, I realized I liked Szayel's body all the more; Renji was almost uncomfortably buff compared to Szayel, and he smelled really, really bad. And he was damp; not all of it was blood, either. He had painfully pronounced muscle structures that jabbed into me. And the fact that I was being forcibly pressed against him wasn't helping.

"…What is this supposed to be?" I twitched, glaring down at his hand. "Sorry, but I'm just not into this sort of thing…" Rough wasn't fun, and he smelled like monkey. I'm not into bestiality.

Renji said nothing, staring down.

I twitched again, "Hey… Say something…" And get the hell off of me, while you're at it.

"It's true," He finally started, "That there's a huge difference between you and my shikai… And I don't think I'd have a chance at close combat, either." Actually, you would; I suck at it. But go on… "But… despite the huge difference in our power…" He looked up, grinning insanely, "If you take a shot from up close, it's probably going to hurt a little, isn't it?"

…Oh, fuck.

'Szayel!'

'_I do—_'

"I've always sucked at kido." Renji went on, cutting Szayel off and ruining my train of thought, "I used to get yelled at a lot because I couldn't control it and it'd explode…. Well…" He smirked, "How about we have a little contest to see who's tougher?" The hand holding my collar started to smoke.

You are!! You win!! Let me go and I'll even have Szayel make you a trophy!! I'll give up and spill my guts, just don—

"Hado thirty one…"

Shit.

"Shakahou."

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!

_**BOOM!!**_

We were both enveloped in a flaming, red inferno that spiraled up.

'_Aporro, get out of there!!_'

NO FUCKING DUH, YOU PINK HAIRED SON OF A BITCH!! JUST ONE FUCKING PROBLEM!! I'M WRAPPED IN A FUCKING EXTENDABLE SWORD WITH A HUGE ASS MONKEY HAND CLUTCHING MY COLLAR!! OH, YEAH, I'M ALSO ON _**FIRE**_, HERE!! I CAN'T SEE WORTH SHIT!!

DAAAAAAAAMN IIIIIIIIT!!


	19. XIX Double the Monster

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Somehow, Renji's hand disappeared.

Somehow, Zabimaru was gone.

Some-fucking-how, Fornicaras was still in my hand.

With no help from Szayel whatsoever, I shot back as quickly as I could, coughing out a huge plume of smoke.

Once I was clear of the damned blast zone, I let myself double over and coughed heavily, hacking up black phlegm and rubbing my scorching face. Damn it, the front of my jacket had been burned off… "SHIT!! This fucking shinigami lowlife is trying to make a goddamned FOOL out of me!!" Honestly, taking advantage of the goddamned close contact…

"Hmm, just as I predicted…"

I froze. It was Uryu. He was behind me… I turned to look at him, tensing when I saw him holding another one of those energy arrows with a hilt, pointing it at me.

"If you took Renji's attack, regardless of whether it succeeded or not, you'd retreat in the opposite direction and create some distance."

…Naaaaaww!! Because I was gonna take it and then throw myself into his fucking arms!!

"You seem to like looking down on your opponents…"

…Not really. Szayel had just taught me to avoid close contact and let my enemies tire themselves out.

"When you take an attack, you have a habit of putting just enough distance between yourself and your enemy so their attacks can't reach you."

…Really? Hell, I hardly noticed… I was terrible at measuring distance. It was probably just dumb luck… But go ahead; make me out to be smarter than I really am. It'll give me something to laugh about later.

"So what?" I smirked, "You, too, seem to enjoy taking your enemies from behind…" Ha!! Sex joke!! "So, do you think you've won, Quincy?"

Uryu smirked confidently, "Yes." He spun the arrow-thing so it pointed blade down, then rammed it into the ground, "I think I have."

…Shit, this wasn't gonna be good.

And waddya know, I was right!!

The ground beneath me lit up with Uryu's blue-rimmed white reiatsu and I looked down, blinking. I was standing in the middle of a small pentagon, five lines of energy sprouting from the five points and trailing out several feet to five of those hilted arrows, one of the five being the one Uryu had just shoved into the ground.

…Aww, fuck. Aporro just walked into a trap.

I tried to run away, but the damned energy of the pentagon made my feet stick fast. "Impossible!! The reiatsu of your weapons is supposed to be sealed!" Damn it, Szayel, you lied to me!

"It just goes to show…" Uryu smirked, holding up a small silver tube, "There are things in this world you don't know of."

…You cocky little bitch…

"Just so it's easy to understand," He went on, tipping the tube ever so slightly, "I shall explain your current situation to you using your language…"

'_Aporro, get out of there!_'

'I can't!! My feet are stuck in his damned reiatsu!!'

"_Hasta aqui_," The Quincy tipped the tube, something white-hot pouring out, "Szayel Aporro Grantz."

Everything seemed to go in slow motion… spilling like liquid, the contents of the tube dribbled down and splashed on the hilt of the arrow, making several lines on it flare straight down to the line that lead to the pentagon I was in, then making that line flare. The flare headed straight for me, and I knew what was coming next.

Okay, so Szayel soo cannot get mad at me for what I was about to say…

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!" _**Boom!!**_

…Hot… white hot fire… all around me… burning my last layer of protection, my clothes… right off… licking at my skin… oh, dear god, I was on fire!! All around me was nothing but white… crushing, snapping white. My body jolted like electricity was running through it, and the white just continued to burn through me…

Oh, god, kill me…

'_Aporro, you are not allowed to die yet._'

…You… bastard…

Something at the base of my skull cooled, a sensation that quickly spread to the rest of my body. It kept me feeling cool through the rest of the blast, what seemed an eternity later the white started to fade.

Soon there was nothing left but smoke, and its job apparently done the coolness dispersed, leaving me feeling like someone had put me in a goddamned oven to crisp.

"Sh-shit…" I rasped, glaring at Uryu's back. Oh, that is so it, you little prick. Not only am I gonna let Szayel tear you to shit, I'm gonna _help_. "Shit… shit… shit… shit… shit…" For some reason, timing my cursing with my exhaling seemed to help me breathe, so I just kept at it, "Shit… shit… shit…"

"…Honestly, I'm stunned." Uryu blinked, staring at me in shock, "To think that you could take that and still be standing."

You little son of a bitch… "Of course… I can…" I panted, narrowing my eyes at him, "I thought I told you… I've analyzed… all… of your reiatsu…"

"Master Szayel Aporro!"

I barely paid Lumina and Verona any heed; I was too busy being pissed at Uryu.

"Even… with techniques… I've never seen… the reiatsu… is still yours… By diffusing the impact… I can at least… I can… at least…" Summoning what little energy I had left in my body, I stood straight and glared at both Uryu and Renji, "REDUCE THE DAMAGE, YOU DAMN IDIOTS!!" Damn Szayel and his prompting… It's hard to talk and listen at the same time.

'_Now, Lumina is just to your left. He has been modified to act the way for you that my Fraccion do for me… You know what to do._"

Normally, I would have been downright disgusted and nauseous at the very _thought_ of doing what he was suggesting. Right now, though?

I was pissy.

I was in pain.

The little cue ball could always be remade later.

…And, oddly enough, I was pretty damned hungry. I guess getting my ass fried increases my appetite.

Barely thinking and still glaring at the two intruders, I reached out and grabbed Lumina. Without a second thought, I turned on him and bit his head off.

…Holy shit… Szayel made him cherry flavored…

Ravenous and exhilarated at the feeling of my burns already healing all over my body, I held the giant Lumina-lollypop close and continued to eat. DAMN IT, IT TASTED REAL FREAKIN' GOOD!! Ugh!! And it wasn't one of those shitty bitter cherry tastes. No, it was that nice, sugary, sweet Maraschino cherry taste.

So, yeah, I'll ask that you understand when I tell you that I didn't stop eating until I was completely sated, which wasn't until only half of Lumina was left. I kept one of his arms dangling out of my mouth and grinned at Uryu and Renji, reaching up and wiping off my dripping chin. Then, for a little something extra, I burped.

Hehe… The looks on their faces was priceless…

'_Aporro…_' Szayel sighed heavily. I could imagine him slapping his forehead, but I didn't give a damn. I was feelin' pretty good right now.

Still looking right at the two shocked dimwits, I turned me head away slightly and spat out Lumina's arm.

"L-Lumina!" Verona cried, falling to her knees beside the arm. "Lumina!!" She reached out for it, as if to touch it, but stopped at the last minute, afraid and in shock. "LUMINA!!"

…Damn it… now I felt bad… Still, I could apologize to her later. I was still pissed, and there was still the matter of the two dimwits. "Shut up! I'll make you a new one later!!" And then I'll bake you a cake, sweetheart. I'm sorry…

Really, Lumina and Verona weren't that bad… they were just slow…

"Y-yes, sir!" Lumina lowered her head to hide her tears.

Gritting my teeth and forcing a grin, I turned back to the dimwits and tilted my head slightly, "What's wrong? Does it surprise you? I told you, didn't I? My Fraccion are special… These ones are a regenerative medicine; if I devour them when I'm injured, my wounds heal. I made them that way."

"You're a damn monster…" Uryu hissed, glaring at me.

I barely contained a wince. Had we met under different circumstances… and when I was me and not 'Aporro'… could we have been friends? "I prefer to be called a genius…" Damn it, this wasn't happening…

Alright, so I was picking a real bad time to be in denial, but being called a 'monster' really hit home… I mean, it was only weeks or months ago that I had been calling Szayel the very same thing…

Maybe it wasn't too late.

Maybe I could throw myself to their knees and explain, beg forgiveness, beg for safety, ask them to set me free…

…Even if that meant death…

'…_Aporro, come back. I'm taking over._'

…It wasn't too late… I could still purposely let my guard down and let them kill me…

'_Aporro? Is this connection malfunctioning?_'

Suddenly, none of it seemed worth it… Not a single kiss, not a single touch. Not the feeling I had gotten having him beneath me, not the fleeting contentment at being in his arms…

For the love of whatever god was listening, I had just _eaten_ Lumina!!

'…_Aporro?_'

Not that Lumina couldn't be replaced, memories and all. I mean, hell, that Lumina hadn't even been the original; I had seen several Lumina's and Verona's come and go.

Still… I had just _killed_ him…

'_Aporro!_'

I turned sharply on my heel and started to walk to the door.

"Wait!" Uryu shouted after me, making my stop slightly, "Where are you going?!"

"…Where am I going?" I repeated listlessly, glancing back, "To change my clothes, of course. If I'm preoccupied by my shabby appearance, I can't fight very well now can I?" Yeah… that was something Szayel would worry about… Appearance…

Uryu twitched, "Oh, give me a—"

I held up one hand, silencing him, "Whoa, Quincy boy, think about it… The whole reason I have to change is because you guy ruined my clothes, right? So just shut up and wait there… And I hope you use that tiny brain of yours to think up your next plan. Because while I'm changing…" Forcing a pained grin, I pointed at them both, "I'm going to be thinking… about how grotesquely I'm going to butcher the both of you."

* * *

"You did well, Aporro." Szayel nodded, taking Fornicaras from my hand.

I said nothing, staring at the ground listlessly.

Szayel stopped for a moment, then reached down to my waist and removed the scabbard and cord.

"…Szayel, please kill me…"

"Oh, not this again." Szayel sighed, fastening Fornicaras to his waist.

"Szayel, I just _ate_ Lumina!"

"And? I do it all the time."

Anger flaring, I glared at him and lunged, "You son of a bitch!!"

Without a flinch, Szayel grabbed my shoulders and spun, pinning me against the wall.

I flailed against him, screaming.

I felt him press closer, using his whole body to keep me still, but when I didn't stop screaming, he took drastic measures.

At first I yelped and struggled when a hand grabbed my hair and jerked my head back, but when his mouth was on mine I stopped struggling immediately and leaned into him.

His tongue roamed my mouth shamelessly and with no sense of restriction, making me wince several times.

"Hmm…" He pulled back after a moment, licking his lips and smirking thoughtfully, "So, I see Lumina's flavoring enhancement worked as expected."

"Tell me I'm not a monster…" I breathed, grabbing his arms. "Please…"

"I can't do that, Aporro." When I tensed, he rolled his eyes, "According to human mythology, the chimera is a monster."

"…Chimera…?"

"You know of genetic chimerism, correct?" When I nodded, he went on, "Part of my genetic code is yours, remember? And you said it yourself…" He smirked, "I'm a monster."

"…So… if I'm a chimera… with 'monster' DNA… does that mean I'm double the monster you are?"

Szayel stared at me, silent.

I stared back, waiting.

I blinked when Szayel turned away, pressing a hand to his forehead, doubling over and damn near laughing his ass off.

I blinked again, then smiled, rubbing the back of my head.

"I suppose it does…" Szayel finally said, gasping lightly and rubbing his stomach as he stood, "I suppose it does, Aporro."

"…You aren't going to kill me, are you?"

"No, Aporro." Szayel chuckled, shaking his head, "I won't." He then glanced at me, "However, there is still a battle to be fought… I'm going to release Fornicaras when I go out there."

I nodded, already having figured as much.

"I'm going to have to inject you with the Fornicaras double serum."

I nodded again, having figured that much, as well.

"…You're also going to be the genetic code released from _Gabriel_, should I need to use it."

I balked, not expecting that, "Ah… How… Are you sure… Szayel… I don't think…"

"I've already decided, Aporro." Szayel cut me off. "I have perfected the Fornicaras double serum since last we tested it on you… You won't have even half of my power, you won't be able to use any Arrancar abilities, you won't be able to use _Gabriel_ or possession… But I have perfected the wings. You will be able to use the carbon copies and the dolls."

"Szayel, why in the hell wouldn't you just do it, yourself?!"

"I will be doing it myself." Szayel sighed impatiently, "But you, again, will be the frontline defense. I will be performing _Gabriel_ on a separate subject at a different location so I have more time to reorient myself."

"Oh." I stared at him flatly. Alright, that made _soooo_ much more sense. Throw _Aporro_ to the dogs so he could sneak in from behind. Yeah. Now this didn't feel so weird. "Right."

Szayel rolled his eyes, "Don't look at me like that; you and I both know that this is your purpose."

…For some reason, I felt a bit empty after he said that.

"Yeah… I know…"

"…Aporro, I'm going to need you to trust me completely."

…At this, I'm very sure that you can imagine the look I gave him. _Szayel Aporro Grantz_ was asking me to trust him. Completely. Hah…

Then, I realized that the only reason he'd be asking this was if he needed to do something really, _really_ risky… Life endangering.

"…What do you need to do?"

"I need to know I have your trust, first."

Oh shit… This was big.

"You have my trust, Szayel." I said, sighing and lowering my eyes slightly, "Completely… And, sadly enough, I'm not lying." I smiled bitterly at his shoulder, "I'm fairly sure I'd be willing to die for you, Szayel…"

There was a moment of silence.

"…Good. Because other than actually dying, what I need to do to you is as close as you'll ever get."


	20. XX Loyal Forever

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I stared at the giant suspension tube in front of me, swallowing hard.

Holy shit… This might actually kill me.

And after the pink-haired son of a bitch had just gotten done promising he'd never kill me, too…

Shit…

"It is, as of yet, untested on any living being over fifteen pounds… Thus far, it has had a ninety-nine point eight five percent success rate, and the projects that have failed were—"

"I don't want to hear about what happened to the failures…"

"…Understandable. Aporro… I'm going to give you the opportunity to back out of this."

"Don't go soft on me, Szay… I said I trust you. Now, just… explain to me one more time what this will do…"

He sighed, "It will reverse your cellular growth and reduce you to a zygote. When you are injected with _Gabriel_, you will undergo rapid regrowth and return to your current state. Your memories should remain unaltered, and any and all wounds you have will be corrected…"

"…You're pausing… What else?"

"…This rebirth will completely cement your DNA as it is now; the effects of the Doppelganger Pill will become permanent, and because I don't have a sample of your blood before your genetic code was altered, I won't be able to reverse or even reconstruct your DNA to its original state… Even your human world body will become obsolete."

There wasn't anything to say to this.

"…Aporro, once again, I am telling you you have the opportunity to back out."

"…And if you're put in a situation where you're life is ended when it could have easily been saved by me just taking your place for a few moments?" I glanced at him. "I'll do it, Szayel."

He just stared at me.

I shrugged, "Besides, not like I'll have anything to live for… or any way _to_ live if you die."

Szayel smirked, "Don't tell me you're attached…"

"Fine. I won't say it."

He stared again.

"…So," I started, turning back to the suspension tube, "Same process as always? I strip and jump into the tube, you do your magic and botta bing, botta boom, I'm a zygote?"

"…That is correct."

Nodding, I reached up to unzip my jacket.

I was cut off when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. Shuddering, I leaned back and tilted my head to the side as he nuzzled my hair out of the way, lips working up the side of my neck.

When his hand reached up to move mine aside and grab the zipper, I didn't fight.

"It has been observed in the human world…" Szayel muttered, unzipping my jacket slightly, "By even the most noted of doctors that a patient who is in a life threatening situation or vegetative state can be saved by their own 'will to live'…" He unzipped the jacket a bit more, "It has also been seen that patients who lose that will more often than not die." I shuddered when he nipped my jaw, "You, Aporro, have an unsettling obsession with dying. Do us both a favor…" He slipped his hand inside of my jacket and cupped my breast, "'Want' to live."

I was suddenly very, very sleepy… My legs wouldn't support my body…

When I slumped, Szayel's grip tightened around my waist, "Keep that in mind, Aporro. Want to live. Don't lose that will that weighs so heavily in the lives of you humans when the only thing that is keeping you alive is that very will…"

"Wh… why…"

Szayel chuckled, "You have to ask? Don't forget, Aporro…" I think he kissed me then… "Your life is mine. I decide when you die."

And then I lost all sense.

* * *

Warm…

Everywhere…

Floating… we are floating… floating in warm…

Light red… smooth… thick… that's what it's like where we're floating…

"_Welcome back."_ A far-off, familiar voice echoes, _"Did you enjoy your walk?"_

We feel safe, knowing that this voice is near where we are… safe… for some reason…

Do we know this person…?

"_Inferior beings like yourselves, irritating me to this extent…and even forcing me to fight you at full strength… That is the very definition of a 'bad joke'."_

This person is angry, but not at us… Still, we don't like knowing that this person is angry…

It makes us upset…

"…_Fornicaras…"_

We are jolted suddenly, and we become afraid…

Our warm, safe place becomes stretched… and cold…

Then hot… almost unbearably hot…

But… this person… will protect us… right…?

Then, everything mellows… and where we are becomes warm again… just warm… and the safe feeling returns, and is stronger, even… power flows around us, encircling us, protecting us…

"_It is now time…"_ This person begins, their voice smoother than before and filled with confidence, _"For the long-awaited second act to begin."_

We feel energy building up… This person is preparing an attack…

"_Truthfully, it is time for the second act to… end."_

There is a burst of energy as this person releases their attack, and where we are gets cold… Then warms up again…

This person doesn't let us feel uncomfortable for long…

There are the shouts of others… shouts of panic… anger… fear…

This person must be powerful…

Shouts… shouts… and more shouts…

Then, this person laughs… loudly… long… We know that laugh… We don't know where from, but we know it…

This person relaxes, and the stress around us is relieved… This person talks, but we don't hear it… We're getting tired now that this person is relaxing…

We're gonna… nap…

* * *

"Setsuko!!" She heard someone call from behind her, "Setsu!!"

Setsuko turned, smiling widely, "Kohaku!" She ran at him, throwing herself into his arms and wrapping hers around his neck.

"Miss me?" He asked, smirking down at her.

"Very much so." She giggle, pulling him down slightly and rubbing the tips of their noses together, "Did you miss me?"

"Always, Setsuko." Kohaku snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him, tilting his head slightly and moving in to kiss her.

Setsuko closed the difference, and like always she melted into his arms happily, hardly caring that they were in a public place and that they were either getting disapproving glares, cheers of encouragement, or ignored completely.

They were always like this together; why should today be any different?

"My place?" Kohaku muttered against her lips after a moment, kissing her lightly once more before finishing, "Or yours?"

Rolling her eyes, Setsuko slipped out of his arms and took his hand, walking down the sidewalk in the direction he had come from, "Yours, silly. You know my parents don't like you…"

"Right, right." Kohaku smirked, nodding. He then took his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her waist, squeezing her hip, "Any luck on getting them to transfer you back to a public school?"

"You know then answer to that." She threw him a look, smiling mischievously, "As if my parents would _ever_ let me go back to a public, coed school after what we were caught nearly doing…"

"Shame." He grinned at her, leaning down to bite her neck gently, "Still, nice to know I ruined you for coed schools."

Setsuko giggled, elbowing him, "You jerk… They're already looking for private, all-girls _universities_! You've ruined high school _and_ college for me!"

Kohaku growled sensually, nipping her again, "Well, at least I know my only competition is a bunch of old, male teachers. I'd say my position is secure…"

Leaning up to nip his jaw in retaliation, Setsuko blinked, "You had your doubts?"

"Never, babe."

Setsuko went to kiss him, then was distracted by a sudden twinge. She turned, blinking at a flash of white and turned down an alley.

"…Setsu?"

She turned back to Kohaku and smiled, leaning against him, "It's nothing. Now, subway?"

* * *

We're woken up in a panic…

This person's heart is pounding, though we can't tell if it's anger or panic…

What we're floating in his heating up as this person moves…

We're scared now…

Is this person okay…? Is this person getting hurt trying to protect us…? We're scared… Please be okay…

Then something is pressed against us… Not hard, but soft… Protective… Comforting… It's this person; the one we're inside of…

This person's heart is slowing; calming…

And we can sleep again…

* * *

"Hey, Setsu, it stopped raining…"

She looked up from the book she was reading as he said this while rubbing her stomach, glancing out the window and smiling, "Finally… It's been going on for days now."

Kohaku shifted behind her, leaning down and nuzzling her neck, "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Yeah…" She giggled when he nipped her, then crawled out of his arms and stood, turning back and reaching out.

He took her hand and stood, waiting for her to set the book aside before walking beside her and out of the house.

The air smelled strongly of wet asphalt, car fumes, and leaves, but neither of them was really disturbed by the first two; living in the city, they were used to it.

They walked through the town and to the park, Setsuko telling him about her new school and Kohaku interrupting every now and then to give his input about what she should do here or there; suggestions they both knew she would never really go through with because they were things _he_ would do…

"…and she took all of the credit for herself!"

"I'd say kick her ass." Kohaku glanced down at her, "Wanna go there now? She should be home…" He smirked.

Setsuko rolled her eyes and elbowed him, "Kohaku… Besides, it's fine." She smirked, "I had a feeling she would do that, so I made it so the program works fine until you hit the 'A' key, at which point it all crashes."

Kohaku blinked, then laughed and hugged her with one arm, "Setsu, you conniving bitch!"

"What can I say?" She sighed dramatically, "I hate being fucked with."

Kohaku went to say something more, but Setsuko was distracted by a twinge. Blinking, she looked back over her shoulder, searching the trees. She blinked again when she caught sight of a flash of white, and was that a face…?

"…Setsuko?"

She jumped slightly, then turned back to Kohaku and smiled, "Yeah?"

"You alright?" He blinked, a bit worried, "You're zoning out again…"

"I'm fine!" She assured, leaning in and nuzzling him, "Long as I have you here I'm perfect."

"Aww…" He smirked, kissing her temple.

But Setsuko wasn't fine… After seeing the flash of white, the twinge became a heavy oppression that weighed on her and made her nervous. She felt like she was being watched…

Now alert and with her senses dulled by the oppression, Setsuko became paranoid, looking around discretely whenever she had the chance.

'Maybe it's just another one of the masked creatures…'

She'd started seeing them when she was young, but they'd never been interested in her or approached her so long as she pretended they weren't there, but if this was one of the masked creatures… it was smarter than the others.

It was actively pursuing her; had been ever since that day two weeks ago, when she had met Kohaku after school and went to his house for the evening. None of the other masked creatures, even the ones who had known she could see them, had ever done anything like that…

If it was one of the masked creatures, then her situation wasn't good.

"Kohaku…" Setsuko began quietly after they had walked around the park numerous times, "Can we… go home?"

"…Of course, Setsuko." He said softly, taking her hand gently and lacing their fingers.

Shuddering, she pressed close to him, grateful.

The oppressive feeling hadn't gone away for almost two hours now…

They had just left the walled park and were walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand. Setsuko was looking down at her shoes; a pair of shiny black penny loafers. She was still in her school uniform, as was Kohaku.

They hadn't been expecting it… _She_ hadn't been expecting it.

When the oppressive feeling increased tenfold, to the point where it hurt, Setsuko looked up, panic raw in her chest.

She felt her heart stop when she saw the tall figure clad in white, a large circular hood framing his head and a huge double-crescent bladed thresher on his back.

Setsuko froze and stared at him, barely hearing Kohaku call her and barely feeling him tug on her hand.

The tall man smirked, "Knew it… I fuckin' knew you could see me…" He stepped forward and she stepped back, an action which made his smirk grow. "Scared?"

Her mouth was dry, tongue stuck to the roof.

"Setsuko?!" Kohaku stepped closer, looking between her and where her gaze was fixated at, "What is it?! Setsu?! Hon?!"

The tall man glanced at Kohaku and snorted, "Annoyin' little shit." He lifted the thresher and swung.

Gasping, Setsuko lunged and barreled into Kohaku, knocking him out of the way and into the road.

Kohaku yelp and grunted when they slammed into the ground, "Setsuko, what the he—"

The ground where the thresher crashed down exploded, and though Setsuko knew it was the tall man, Kohaku had no idea what to think.

"S-Setsu?! What i—"

Setsuko jumped back to her feet and turned to the tall man, holding out her arms and standing between him and Kohaku protectively, "GO AWAY!!" She heard the bystanders screaming and muttering, but she ignored them; she had to make this man leave. Kohaku couldn't defend himself…

The tall man smirked, raising his thresher and setting it on his shoulder, "So, yer gonna stand between us, then? Stupid bitch…" He swung again.

Setsuko tensed, watching, then jumped back, bumping into Kohaku as he stood and knocking him out of the path. When the blade was swung again, she jumped to the left, and then again backwards.

Kohaku watched in horror as she barely dodged three explosions in a row, but when it got to the fourth…

Setsuko fell back, silver flashing and red spraying across her vision. Her whole body was nothing but pain, and she wanted to scream so badly but couldn't… No part of her would obey any command…

Then, she saw Kohaku out of the corner of her eye. He looked so scared…

'K-Ko…haku… help… me…' She opened her mouth to call him, but all that came out was a breathy rasp.

When Kohaku took a step back, her eyes widened.

'No… don't leave… me…'

When Kohaku turned and ran, the pain in her chest increased and she blacked out.

* * *

When we wake again, we are sad…

And then we are scared, because this person is in distress… This person's heart is beating so quickly…

"_Shit, shit, shit, shit!! Why?! Your guts!! Your tendons!! I've smashed them all!! Why haven't you died?! Just what kind of ability do you have?!"_

This person sounds so scared… and angry… Something bad is happening, and we are scared with this person…

This person needs us…

And we will help this person…

I will help him.

Because he's the one who didn't abandon me.

Even if it was only to use me, he kept me alive.

And I owe him for that.

I will help him.

Even at the cost of my life.


	21. XXI Lose

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

'…Aporro, are you seeing this?'

'…_I am._'

Szayel had a feeling he should have been surprised that she was conscious in her state, but he wasn't. Actually, he had been half expecting it.

'This man… this _shinigami_… be careful with him. He won't hesitate even if he realizes that you aren't me.'

'_I know._'

Getting tired of the argument going on between Mayuri and Uryu, Szayel glanced around for an opening… then saw one.

'…Aporro, I am now going to inject you into your host. When you are inside of her, stay silent and bide your time, is that understood? I will signal you when it is time.'

'_I understand… Szayel, please be careful…_'

Szayel blinked, then sighed. 'I will.'

He was fully aware of her growing attraction to him, and, for the most part, he regretted giving in to his recent and oddly frequent bouts of lust and encouraging her. It was in bad form, grotesque on several levels, and was very likely to lead to her becoming mentally and emotionally unstable when she realized that her feelings weren't reciprocated.

Yes, he had saved her.

Yes, he had kept her alive several times over when he normally would have euthanized her.

Yes, he had done something he considered quite disgusting in choosing her, a human, to reflect his image.

Yes, he had made himself look a fool in not only choosing her, but allowing her to get away with so much where normally he would have implemented consequences so dire the victim of his vindication would be reduced to invalidity.

But Szayel Aporro Grantz never let a good experiment die, and in his opinion the Doppelganger Pill was one of his defining and shining achievements.

And the girl… she was his only viable subject.

And now that she had made it this far, and with more success than he had ever hoped, he wasn't about to let anything happen to her, be it depression or her pathetic suicide attempts. Not even this situation… this fight with this captain. She wouldn't die here.

He wouldn't allow it.

'I'm injecting you now, Aporro.' Szayel thought as he laughed, one of his tentacles springing out of the ground to ensnare the busty black-haired young woman who accompanied the captain, a smaller tendril slipping off of the main and shooting into her womb, though Szayel and Aporro were the only ones who knew this. No one could see it, and the girl certainly couldn't feel it; the tendril had numbing effects.

"How lax your guard is, Captain class!" Szayel declared, gesturing to Nemu, "You didn't place enough consideration into where your underling stood."

He was thrown off when neither Mayuri or Nemu looked particularly concerned, and even more so when the girl blandly stated, "It seems you have made a mistake. Capturing me like this won't make me a hostage."

Enraged at the idea of one of his plans not working, Szayel turned on Nemu and screamed, "Shut up! I'm not talking to you!"

"…Every single one of you…" Mayuri began after a moment, summoning attention back to himself as he drew his zanpakuto, "Never seem to shut up. It's quite annoying."

Szayel stared in mixed horror and anticipation as the Captain held up his zanpakuto. This wasn't good… This was Aporro's first battle. She wasn't nearly prepared to face a captain-level bankai, or even a shikai.

"Ban… kai…."

…No… this wasn't good.

"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo."

Not good at all.

* * *

….Holy…. Shit….

Giant… evil… yellow baby…

That is not good… RUN, SZAYEL, RUN!!

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!"

No, you pink-headed pansy, don't ask questions about it!! Run!!

"This is… Is this gas some type of virus?!"

…Why in the hell didn't you run? Why in the hell did you just stand there and stare at it like a pussy?

I wish I could have said half of the things I was thinking… but considering I was watching through someone else's eyes and I was still a zygote, I don't think I had much choice. That, and Szayel said I couldn't do the possession thing… Damn me and my single-celled-ness…

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITT—!!"

Still, I could only watch… in horror… as Szayel… That baby…

That baby just ate Szayel…

Szayel just got eaten… by a giant evil baby in a red cape…

On my god…

Wha…

What was I…

Shit…

Well… wha…

What am I supposed to do now?!

Is he dead?!

Alive?!

Being digested?!

Aww, fuck!!

I don't know wha—

Suddenly, my host was screaming and I was feeling rather warm… and large.

Oh, great, _now_ I'm growing. Of all times, it had to be now.

I mean, sure, I had been expecting to have to come out in the event that Szayel 'died', but this… I hadn't expected him to get eaten by a giant baby, alright?! What am I supposed to do?!

Ugh, I was pissed…

Oh, well. Might as well continue to play my part…

"It's gonna take…" I forced the tendril to say, "Much more than that to get rid of me…" Damn it, talking through this thing was hard…

"That voice…"

"The friggin' fairy!"

Oh, come on, Szayel, you couldn't kill those two before I had to come out again?! Honestly… "You have all bore witness to Fornicaras's most elegant ability, which I have so aptly named… _Gabriel_."

Thank god Szayel had taken the time to go on and on about his damned ability… If he hadn't, I wouldn't have been about to talk about it as much as I was ready to. Maybe I could talk a lot to stall for time…

"This crafty little skill allows me to asexually reproduce within the womb of my prey… I gain control of the host from within, then I embed my genetic material within their internal organs, which I then use as sustenance for my growing embryo."

Nasty as it sounds, it actually felt terrific, this whole process of growing again from a zygote…

"Before long, my prey becomes nothing more than an empty shell…"

"M-Ma… ster… Ma… yu… ri…"

Damn it, now I was feeling bad again… This girl hadn't done a single thing! Hadn't even drawn her zanpakuto! And Szayel, the prick, had gone and embedded me within her!

"At the time of my annunciation…" Ugh… As much as I felt bad for this poor girl, slipping out of her mouth was downright nasty; I was covered in her fluids. And I didn't even want to look at what she must look like now… I just stuck with pushing myself to my feet and standing. "The only downside to this is it makes my hair completely unmanageable."

Ha!! I got to make a funny about Szayel's fashion issues!!

…Damn it, I hope he wasn't alive enough to hear that…

"Don't you think so?" I asked, looking up and smirking, "Mayuri… Kurotsuchi…?"

He shrugged slightly, grin fading a bit, "I've seen worse." He paused, then tilted his head a bit, "You're not the same Espada from a moment ago…"

Shit, he could tell. I shrugged, "The annunciation…" I stared at him, "Are you able to comprehend, Mayuri Kurotsuchi? Through impregnating the enemy with myself, I will be able to resurrect myself over and over again." I paused, then thought back to a bit of mythology Szayel had once referred to in teaching my about _Gabriel_, "The phoenix, often referred to as the immortal bird, is said to light a flame in the bodies of the elderly…" This, of course, wasn't entirely true, but I stuck with the way he had explained it; it went better with his transformation, "From which it ignites the power of rebirth."

Mayuri just stared at me blankly.

I held up one hand, covering my face and staring at him from between my fingers; Szayel loved the ambiance, might as well keep it up, "Understand? Immortality. That is what it means to be perfect. Not the transcendence of death, but rather the capturing of one's life and death within the cycle of rebirth. That which is called 'death' is not removed from my existence!" I was getting louder and louder, rather into the speech at this point, "I exist as a being without any interruption in the cycle of life and death! That which is called a 'perfect existence'!"

I had gotten to speech enough by know to know the points by heart; the way Szayel had presented them to me had shocked me to the core and frightened me, scaring away any protests I might have had and forcing me to listen in awed shock.

Whenever he had spoken of it, I believed him.

Whenever Szayel spoke of _Gabriel_, if only for a moment I believed he was truly perfect.

It wasn't just his passion in this speech I was delivering; it was mine, as well.

Because I believed it, no matter what I may have said otherwise.

"To me…" I started my conclusion, winding down, "The phenomenon known as death does not exist. Even if you kill me, before I completely die, I will come back to life. Realize this…" I lifted my hand slowly and pointed at the shinigami captain, "You, who are incapable of killing me, will never achieve victory against me, Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

Mayuri was silent.

I crossed my arms and smirked smugly, not just because it was what Szayel would do, but because I knew what I had just said to be true. Somewhere, Szayel was off either resurrecting himself or watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And, with some level of the Fornicaras abilities, myself, I could easily handle Renji and Uryu, the redhead and the Quincy, who were laying off to the side looking like shit.

We had this battle.

It was ours.

When Mayuri began walking towards me, I tensed my legs, ready to jump back. Still, I didn't let my smirk fade, and I didn't let my arms tense. Szayel would do something if things got too bad.

Without really looking at me, though, Mayuri walked right passed me. I blinked, turning to look at him, then blinked again when I saw him kneeling before the body of that poor girl, Nemu.

She really wasn't looking too good…

Still, pitying the enemy wasn't something Szayel would do, so… "What's wrong?" I started, "Does it disturb you to see your precious subordinate in such a withered form? How delicate of you… and unexpected." It took a lot of work on my part to make myself sound cold; I really felt bad for her, "Give up. That thing is just a used up pile of flesh now."

I tensed slightly when Mayuri stood and turned towards me, wondering if I had taken it too far… Really, it was possible; I didn't have Szayel to prompt me.

What I wasn't expecting though, was for the clown-faced captain to turn to me and grin.

"How amusing."

….Shit.

"That is truly an amusing ability you have; it has piqued my interest. So…" He tilted his head, "Is that all you can do?"

I was openly tense now, "…What?"

"That can't possibly be it, correct? After all of that talk about the 'perfect existence'… There must be some ability you're still hiding. Eh?"

Aw, fuck, I don't know! I only know four of Szayel's abilities, and I can only use two of them!! And to a mediocre level, at that! Fuuuuuuuuck…

"What's with that confused look?" I'm not confused; I'm pissed. "It's not like you have anything to lose, so what's the difference? Go on. Show me all you've got."

Behind Mayuri, I saw the giant evil baby twitch, one eye focusing straight on me. Of course! Szayel's possession! So that's where he was!

I reached out and gestured towards the baby, which immediately responded by jumping up and crashing down on Mayuri like it had Szayel.

I started laughing at the irony of it all, "You really think that thing can survive after eating my body?! My flesh will fuse with anything that eats it and invade its central nervous system! Even without having data on your zanpakuto, once I control its core, the structure of it is meaningless! Your bankai is at my command! Curse it! Curse the fact that your bankai materialized in the form of a corporeal creature!!"

Of course, some sadistic son-of-a-bitch supreme being decided to screw me over royally.

The damned baby exploded, leaving behind a very soggy Mayuri to stare at me flatly, "My, my… do you think a master would allow one of his tools to defy him so easily?"

…Uh… yeah. I do it with Szayel on a daily basis.

"I've modified it so that if, by chance, it ever happened to bite my hand I could instantly self-destruct it."

…………Go. Fucking. Figure. Because that's just my luck, right vindictive supreme being?!

"…Seems like you don't have any other new abilities to show me." Mayuri sighed, "Now, then, finally, it's time for me to take back the hidden specimen of my new drug."

I have this instant reaction to the word 'drug', a reaction build up by months of living with Szayel… I ready one hand to shield myself and slip the foot of the opposite side back, ready to turn and run.

I. Don't. Like. Drugs.

"There's no need to get into such a posture." Mayuri assured with fake, calm sincerity. "Your drug has already been ad… min… is… ter… ed…"

…Okay, so you know those deep, slow voices they use to make radio jingles more dramatic? Biiiiiiiiiig flashback, here.

Mayuri was getting hard to understand, and my body was staring to feel really heavy…

Ugh… this wasn't good…

"There were… already several drugs… within Nemu's body…" Mayuri went on, and I think he went on more, but the rest of whatever he said was just garbled nonsense.

"Wha?! Just what kind of drugs are they?!" Damn it, Szayel, you had better be listening so you can help me!

The shinigami went on to say more things… so many more things… something about a 'superhuman drug'… Something about the adrenalin rush… Something… something…

And then there! A really, really shiny flash! A sword!! Shit, move!! Move, damn it, MOVE!!

But nothing… My body… wasn't responding…

Lift… the hand… to block… the sword… Hurry! Before… you can't… re— ……… spond…

Ah… pain… in hand… Ouch…

Aw… fuck… pain in… chest… ow… stop that…

Please………………… Sza………………………………………………………………………… yel……………………


	22. XXII Regret

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

How much longer could this last…

How much longer until my body caught up with my mind and metabolized this poison…

How much longer until I died…

I regretted it all now…

Every kiss…

Every thought…

Every touch…

I had replayed them over and over, but so much time had passed that they had lost their color…

They had lost their taste…

They had lost their feel…

I couldn't even remember his name…

And now I couldn't remember gender…

Was I the he… or the she…

Was the one I loved male… or female…

Hell if I know… all I know now is black and white… and pain…

Is there a way to commit suicide with only your mind… I've been contemplating that for god knows how long, yet I'm still alive, so I'll take that as a 'no'…

Now I'm thinking… about just how fucked up I'll be when I finally get out of this…

After all of these years of suffering… with this damned blade in my chest… scraping my heart with each beat…

Yeah, I am going to be real fucked up…

Damn…

Well, I guess being largely human in nature does have its redeeming features… Humans are very good at dissociating…

I think I shaved off about an eighth of my memory of my time here by just pretending I wasn't really here…

But now that I was thinking about it, there was no way I would be getting out of it like that again…

Dear god, whoever is listening, please kill me… This pain will only numb itself for so long before I can feel it tenfold again… I only have so much will…

Someone…

Someone…

Someone…

Someone…

This isn't worth it…

Someone…

Someone…!

KILL ME!!

* * *

It had been a dangerous maneuver, planting a carbon copy of himself, grabbing Aporro, and sonidoing out of the area as quickly as possible, all while keeping his reiatsu as low as possible, but Szayel had done it.

He had a feeling Mayuri had sensed him…

He hadn't had time to remove the blade of Konjiki Ashisogi from Aporro and put it in the carbon copy…

All he had been able to do was make a copy, grab the broken blade of Aporro's practice sword that had been drastically relocated when that red-headed moron had had all of his copies release their bankai and destroyed his lab and shove said broken blade through the copy…

He'd barely managed to scrape the time together to inject her with a serum to dramatically slow her metabolism and, hopefully, lessen the effects of the Superhuman Drug…

It had been a sloppy job, but hopefully it would buy them enough time to get them out of the area so he could get to one of his smaller, underground labs so he could begin to repair the extensive damage that had been done to Aporro.

And it wasn't the blade; no, the damage caused by the zanpakuto would be the easiest to fix.

But the damage to her mind…

There was only so much repair work that Szayel could do to the human brain before he ran out of tissue to scar, and he couldn't risk re-scarring scar tissue; it could lead to complete brain death.

And what that Kurotsuchi did to her…

Szayel scowled, looking down at Aporro. She was staring straight up with a stunned gaze frozen on her face, a single line of blood trailing from her lips down her chin… and now going down her neck and staining her collar now that she was on her back.

Her body was completely limp, except for her hand, which was still held straight up and in place with the sword piercing it and going into her chest. Her eyes… though shock was evident on her face, her eyes showed nothing. If she weren't still breathing (albeit very, very shallowly, but at this point he was just relieved that she was breathing at all), he would be convinced that she was dead, or very close to it.

Still, if she weren't dead, she was close to it. Very close.

Damn it… if only he'd been there to prompt her…

Szayel stopped running at a blank stretch of sand, looking around to make sure all of the landmarks where the same… group of three rocks sized in descending order in a circular fashion to the left, a tree that had been split in two years ago, the jagged edges long smoothed over by sand and time to the right, and right in front of him a great crescent sand dune, bowed out.

Location verified; the eleventh laboratory, located forty miles northeast of Las Noches. An emergency laboratory, fully stocked and well hidden; a lab not even Lord Aizen knew of. One of twenty-eight hidden labs built for the specific purpose of emergency medical care after a disastrous fight or catastrophe; really, any event that would make Szayel flee his main labs.

After glancing around, Szayel stood at the middle of the tree landmarks, took twenty steps back, then lowered Aporro's legs to the ground and lifted his hand, reaching into his collar and pressing a button on a device hidden there.

When the sand began to shift, he knelt and picked Aporro's legs back up, stepping back and shifting her when the sand began to shudder and sink away, a descending staircase leading to a thick metal door revealed.

Szayel walked down the stairs quickly, slipping in as the door swung open and setting Aporro down on the nearest table. "Amiens! Ceillia! Come quickly!"

The two Fraccion stationed at this particular lab responded immediately, staring in horror between the two copies of their master and his condition.

"Ceillia, take care of Aporro." Szayel told the second, staring right into her eyes to get the orders across fully, "Remove the blade very, very carefully, clean the wounds and have a compound curve, size four surgical suture ready." When Ceillia nodded and picked her up, Szayel quickly pulled a test tube from a nearby rack and scooped up the blood on Aporro's chin, turning to Amiens and nodding, "And we are going to analyze this."

Amiens nodded, following Szayel as he quickly walked in the opposite direction Ceillia was headed, to the archives where Szayel kept record of every virus, disease, poison, drug, serum, and compound in a database that was standard to each of his labs. If there was something even remotely similar to Kurotsuchi's 'Superhuman Drug', it would be in that archive.

The records were kept immaculately organized and one could find whatever they needed in minutes, despite the fact that there were well over twenty million files.

Minutes…

Szayel only wished he had computerized the data, like he had in his main labs, instead of leaving it all on paper.

They didn't have minutes.

Aporro could well loose her mind beyond all repair in seconds.

* * *

Kill…

Kill…

Kill…

Me.

Don't save me.

I don't want it anymore.

How long have I been here?

I don't know… I've lost count of the years.

What I had was an illusion; I see that now.

I always knew it, to some level, I believe; that you would never feel the way I did in regards to you.

But I didn't care to see it then…

Now, I have no problem accepting it.

Humans aren't meant to live this long…

What was I thinking? You would have outlived me, anyway.

Arrancar and human are two species not meant to cross; not now or ever.

Even if you had modified me, lengthened my life, made me stronger, eventually something would have given in.

It probably would have been my mind… Ha, irony is a cruel bitch.

Look at me; my mind is already deteriorating.

…Fuck, even if you save me, my body will be so much behind my mind… Please, don't save me.

I don't want that.

I have no reason to come back; let me die if you won't kill me. But please, please, please, please, please, please, please…

~So many years later…~

…please, please, please, please… don't save me…

* * *

Szayel stared down at Aporro.

Two trays were within his reach; the one to his left held the serum that would break down the drug Mayuri had put in her at a rapid rate, and the one to his left held the sutures he had requested.

He was pausing… he shouldn't pause. He needed to work, and now.

But he was thinking about the last material… the one in his pocket.

Neither Amiens nor Ceillia had seen him grab it; he had shoved it into his pocket in passing. But now that he had the moment, he was painfully aware of what it was and what his line of thinking had been when he had grabbed it.

It was a syringe that held enough sodium thiopental, a fast-acting general anesthetic, to take down a bull elephant… but not as an anesthesia. No, sodium thiopental is only used in doses like the one Szayel had grabbed as a drug for medical euthanasia.

A megadose lethal injection.

He had also kept the test tube of Aporro's blood; capped and placed safely in his pocket.

Szayel knew what he was getting ready for… He preferred not to think about it, but he had to.

He would have preferred to have never thought about it until Aporro's time came naturally, but now he had no choice.

He had to think about preserving his experiment, which Aporro had come to embody.

He had to think about saving as much of Aporro's genetic code as possible, and then ending her life, and possible suffering.

Damage like the kind that this 'Superhuman Drug' had wrought on her… could reduce her to nothing but an empty shell.

If it came to that, Szayel would have to end her, and not just because it would signal the end of her usefulness…

No, Szayel doubted he could stand seeing her reduced to such a low point.

Shaking his head, Szayel picked up the syringe on his left hand side and injected it directly into one of the ulnar veins in her arm, where it would quickly dump into her heart and then spread throughout her body. He then started to stitch her wounds.

* * *

It's happening now… Everything is starting to slow…

The blur that my eyes had come to recognize as constant is fading… and my body… I can feel my body again…

The pain has lessened dramatically, and even now the pinch that might have made me scream once is nothing more than that; a pinch… That slightly push and pull of a needle going in and out…

Stitching…

Someone… is stitching me…

No…

I said to kill me…

Don't save me, you fool…!

Don't make me wake up…

Please, oh god please, don't make me try to adjust… I can't do it… I'm so used to this, as it is now… I feel so ancient…

You can't wake me up…

I won't be able to handle it…

It will drive me insane…

Don't wake me up…

Don't wake me up…

Don't wake me up!!

SZAYEL, DON'T WAKE ME UP!!


	23. XXIII Alive

*rubs back of head sheepishly* Eh-heh, sorry for all the angst... Things pick up here, though!! *smirks* And soon enough, they get hot and heavy... Hehehehehehe...

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

She had started responding even before he had finished her sutures; her eyes flickered back and forth.

Her mouth, when had been frozen with her lips slightly parted to complete the look of shock on her face, began to slowly close, then snapped shut with an audible click as her teeth met forcefully.

Her shallow breathing started to even out and deepen…

And, for the first time in a while, Szayel actually took a moment to study her features. Her lips were thinner than most females… mostly due to the Doppelganger Pill; her lips had been much thicker, almost grotesquely so, when she was fully human. His DNA had made her lips thinner, but not so that they matched his… One of the many shortcomings of the Pill.

And she actually had breasts: Ha! It was almost humorous to see himself with breasts, but first and foremost it was bizarre… And scarily enough she had the hips to pull it off…

Szayel blinked, then shook his head and started to clean up the wounds.

The Fornicaras pill was wearing off due to the metabolisms-speeding injection, and Szayel was noticing that her hair was half an inch longer than his… She needed a trim. And he needed to stop making her her own shampoo mix; the aloe mix was making her hair too silky.

Szayel blinked again, scowling and stepping back and placing a hand on his stomach, "Amiens, get me some famotidine…" He must be having some indigestion from being inside of that giant baby…

Then it had begun; the break down.

Aporro's eyes had just locked on him and Szayel paused, waiting to see what would happen.

He sighed heavily, despondently, when her mouth opened and she sucked in a screech of air, her eyes rolling back into her head and her back arching. Quickly, Szayel stopped his work and backed away, ready to jump back should she come close to falling.

"Tonic-clonic seizure…" Szayel muttered, looking up at his Fraccion, "I need towels, blankets, and hot water. Quickly." He stood back and watched, interfering only when it looked like Aporro was about to fall. He glared and snapped at Ceillia when she came back and tried to hold the doppelganger down on the table, "Do not touch her, you moron, or do you want me to kill you for causing her to injure you and herself?!

The Fraccion winced and backed away.

Growling, Szayel stuck to doing all you were supposed to do for someone suffering from a seizure; making sure her head was on a soft, safe area and making sure she didn't fall. No holding her down. No padding down her tongue. No extra movements that would only complicate things and increase the chance of her injuring herself.

When her convulsions went on for four solid minutes, Szayel tossed 'no interfering' out the window and started wetting a few of the towels in the hot water, draping them over her arms and legs, massaging the heat in to relax her muscles as much as he could.

When she finally started to relax, her convulsions reduced to minor twitches, he rewet the towels and put them back, then waved a hand in front of her once again open eyes, "Aporro? Respond…"

She just stared ahead blankly.

"…Aporro…" Still, no response. Szayel paused, then sighed, "Setsuko…"

Aporro twitched.

Szayel sighed again, reaching out and touching her right shoulder, just at her blind spot.

Aporro twitched again, her eyes shifting to meet his.

Szayel froze.

There was nothing there… no flicker of recognition, no spark of anger or annoyance, not even that strange glint that shone roughly the same time her face turned pink…

"…Setsuko?"

Again, nothing.

She just wasn't there…

"…Master Szayel Aporro, what is going on in Las Noches."

"…War…" Szayel turned to his two Fraccion, "The video observation room is still up and running, correct? We need to get there, now. Ceillia, watch her. Amiens, come with me." Without hesitation, Szayel turned and walked away.

He had no reason to hesitate.

That thing on the table wasn't Aporro.

* * *

I feel so empty… so blank…

My chest used to feel a whole lot heavier than this… but there's nothing there now… I feel so hollow…

I recognize him… I know who he is… I think I should feel something for him… but I can't…

He's addressing me by two names… I don't want him calling me one of them…

'Setsuko'… he isn't supposed to call me that…

How does he know to call me that…?

How…

I was Setsuko before I met him…

Setsuko died before we met…

How does he know…

That bastard…

He lied…

That son of a bitch…

I swung my legs over the edge of the table and sat up.

"M-Master Aporro!"

I glared at the creature that held me back; an abnormally thin thing with long purple hair and beady black eyes and the typical scientist Fraccion outfit. "Where is he? Let me go. I need to kick his ass."

"Master Aporro, you need to sleep! You just had an epi—"

"Get out of my way." I hissed, pushing her aside and storming in the first direction I turned to.

"The surveillance room is this way."

I turned in the right direction and kept storming.

That conniving prick! He'd known my name, who I was, all along, and he'd never said a goddamned thing until I was on my deathbed! UGH!!

"Master Aporro please do—" Not listening, I slammed the door open. Screw delicate equipment, I was pissed.

"Ceillia, what have I—" Szayel turned on me and started yelling, then stopped and blinked, then blinked again, and then for a good measure blinked a third time, "…Aporro?"

"Oh, so now we're back to calling me that, are we?" I slapped him. Hard. I was actually shocked with how hard I had hit him; his head swung full to the side and my hand stung. But I couldn't let a stinging hand stop me; I'd lose my steam, "You conniving son of a bitch! How long have you known my fucking name?! How the fuck could you keep that from me?! And waiting until I'm on my deathbed to say it?! You sick fuck! Just for that, I'm going to stay alive for a long as I can just to fuck with you some more!!"

"That's good."

I blinked. "…What?"

Szayel held his reddening cheek and smirked at me, "Be angry at me. Live just to spite me. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself alive."

I lost my steam, my jaw dropping.

"Not a very becoming look for you…" Szayel smirk widened slightly, then he twitched, turning away and letting it fade. "Gaah, I think I made your strengthening enhancements too strong…"

"What… do you mean… keep myself alive…?"

Szayel blinked, then took my arm and led me out of the room.

I followed him silently, still shocked.

When we were back in the room where I had woken up, Szayel picked up a syringe from a tray near my table and turned to me, holding it up, "Do you know what is in here?"

"Ah…" I blinked, "No."

"Sodium thiopental…" He muttered, looking down at the syringe, "Enough to stop the human heart and shut down all major organs by completely blocking all of the receptors in the spinal column in seconds…"

I was now staring at the syringe, my body numb and my mind blank, "Holy shit… you were… really going to…"

"…I couldn't do it."

"…What?"

Szayel sighed quietly, still staring at the syringe, "When it got to the point where using it on you would have been completely justifiable, when I had every reason in the world and when I absolutely should have, it completely slipped my mind. I forgot it was there."

I blinked, then shrugged, "Forgetting and not being able to do it aren't the sa—"

"I was the one who prepared the syringe, Aporro." Szayel said flatly, cutting me off , "I knew what I was preparing it for, but when it came time my mind purposely blocked me from remembering to act."

"…That doesn't really make much se—"

"I know how my mind works, Aporro." Szayel hissed, looking up at me again and narrowing his eyes, "And I am telling you that I couldn't kill you."

I considered this, found myself deeply touched, then found myself at a loss for words. "…Szayel…" Anything more I may have had to say, which really wouldn't have been much, was cut short when my mind and body went numb and I folded in on myself, falling to the ground.

I could not feel, but I saw Szayel catch me and stare down at me, his mouth working in sentences and questions I could not even hear.

Then static rung in my ears and I slowly started to regain my hearing.

"—porro? Ceillia! Amiens! Get in here!! Aporro? Respond…"

"F-…fuckin'… Ku… rot… su… chi…"

Szayel sighed heavily, smirking.

I didn't see what was so funny about this. As soon as I saw that Mayuri bastard again, I was cutting his nuts off.

And now I was thinking about it again… all of that time I had spent in solitude… the years that had passed like so—

"Aporro." My face jerked to the side and my cheek stung. "Quit thinking about it."

…That fruity son of a bitch… had just slapped me!

"Good. Be angry at me. Whatever it takes to keep your mind occupied." Szayel sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the table and staring down at me flatly. "The more you think about it, the more vulnerable you will be, and thus you will be more likely to lapse into these fits…" He left me to my thoughts and turned to scream at his Fraccion as they ran in the room, later than he had wanted them to be.

This was odd… Szayel was making me deliberately pissed at him to save my sanity… Fuck, he's a real glutton for punishment.

"Las Noches is currently in a state of maddened disarray," Szayel began after a moment, turning back to me, "And until Lord Aizen returns, we won't be making any moves. Currently, we're located in an underground lab northeast of Las Noches, and other than being only a eighth the size of the main lab and not being computerized in some aspects, it is fully equipped. Worst case scenario, we can comfortably live here for eight months without to return to the surface."

"…One eighth the size?" Hehehehehehehehehehehehehee… Now you _really_ can't avoid me, you hot bastard.

"Unfortunately, another downside is the severely lacking sizes of the personal quarters and other facilities…"

I blinked, "Waddya mean?"

Szayel sighed, "Well, because I could only make this lab one eight the size of the main lab, I had down downsize in many aspects in order to fit in all of the different areas of studies."

"…Szayel, show me my room."

Again, Szayel sighed. "And we get to one of the main issues…"

* * *

"…In your downsizing, did it never occur to you that sleep is _important_?"

"Of course it did. That's why this room is here."

"Szayel, this isn't a room. This is a broom closet occupied by a very small, but admittedly nice bed. There's no walking room; you have to crawl across the bed to lay down."

"Is there not a bed?"

"Is—"

"Aporro…"

"…Yes, there is a bed."

"Then this is a _bed_room."

"…That's a load of shit." I twitched when I was shocked. "Fine, fine, whatever… So, where's your room?"

"You are already looking at it."

"…I thought you said this is my room…"

"Correct."

"…Fuck. No."

Sigh. "Aporro, please don't be difficult. The only other two beds here are occupied by Amiens and Ceillia and only an actual bed is a safe place to sleep in a laboratory. Anywhere else is unacceptable."

"…As normally enthusiastic as I'd be about sharing a small bed in an equally small room with you, it scares me that you're doing this willingly."

"We don't have any other options. Even if I wanted to disagree, I know that realistically there is no alternative, so I have no plan of arguing. I can tell, though, that you do."

"…Nah, not really." I grabbed him and pushed him down onto the bed, leaping in after him and slamming the door shut.

Szayel sighed, "It's a relief, I suppose, to see you as energetically forward as ever."

I yawned, "Szayel, shut up and go to sleep."

And would you believe it; he actually didn't protest when I wrapped my arms around him and cuddled up against him. All he did was turn away so he didn't have to face me. I didn't care, though; I turned with him, pressing my knees against the back of his legs and forcing him to curl up.

Nnnnnope. Not opposed to this _at all_.


	24. XXIV Maternal

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I blinked down at the object Szayel had handed me, "What is this?"

"A way for you to keep your mind occupied until you recover and stop suffering from those epileptic fits."

I winced at the mention of those fits…

The second one had happened this morning, as soon as I had started to wake up.

* * *

I'd woken to a painful headache and some of the most maddening and tiring convulsions I had suffered from since before Szayel had fixed my brain damage.

"Ha… kua… Sza… el…"

"Calm down, Aporro." He'd said calmly, smoothly, sitting by my side and waiting carefully, "Just relax… It will pass…"

Where normally this would have pissed me off because of his apparently lacking concern, I felt relieved just at the fact that he was there and wasn't walking out…

When the fit had finally passed, Szayel calmly explained the situation to me while I lay there, exhausted and panting.

"When your mind isn't occupied by current matters, it slips back into the state it was in while under the influence of the Superhuman Drug… and your body, which can't keep up with it, overloads. The drug is still in your system, though not in as great amounts as before. Now, instead of paralyzing you, it puts you in a semi-comatose state and your muscles contract and expand rapidly as your mind continues to rapidly fire unread synapses, resulting in convulsions."

* * *

…Yeah, I hadn't understood a damned word he said.

Still, I understood the main message: "Keep yourself occupied if you don't want seizures".

Okay, simple enough. I could soooooo do that…

But, apparently, Szayel thought I couldn't, and as a result… the small, furry _thing_ in my hands.

"…I never thought I would find myself saying this, but must you glare at the kitten? He's only an infant…"

"Why do I have a Hollow kitten?"

"I made it for you, so please show it some respect."

"Why did you make me a kitten?"

"If you don't want it, give it back—"

"NO!!" I hugged the small bundle of fur to my chest, glaring at Szayel. If he wanted it, I wanted it more.

Szayel nodded, "Then keep it, raise it, and occupy yourself with it. It will keep you distracted until the Superhuman Drug is completely flushed from your system."

I glared at Szayel harder, twitching, then looked down at the kitten and cooed with a sickly sweet smile, "I'm gonna name you 'Kohaku'…"

My smile only grew when Szayel twitched, then turned and walked away.

"You know…" I called after him, petting Kohaku, "Some couples use pets like dogs and cats as 'practice children'…" When I didn't hear his footsteps advancing any further, I glanced at him.

Szayel was frozen in the doorway, not moving and hardly breathing from my perspective.

After a moment, he started with a jolt, walking out without saying anything further.

I stared after him, smirking, then turned back to Kohaku. My smirk faded instantly as I stared down at him.

I am not a cat person.

At all.

If anything, I'm a dog person, and even then that's iffy… I like big dogs. Like those Malamutes, or a German Shepherd, or an Akita. Unfortunately, though, I don't think my circumstances ever allowed for a large dog…

Anyway, cats? Yeeeaaa—No. Hell no.

"So…" I started after a moment, looking down at Kohaku, "…Know any tricks?"

Kohaku blinked lazily, tilted his head, then opened his mouth and started crying.

God, I HATE the cry of kittens!! It's so pathetic and wail-y, and coupled with the fact that they're fuzzy and small it just makes your heart hurt…

I got a question; who was the bastard who came up with the notion that all girls know how to take care of babies and kittens? If you know, please tell me so I can punch them in the gnads.

I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE WHAT I'M DOING, HERE!!

Standing and holding the thing out at arms-length with both hands, I tore off in the direction Szayel had gone.

He looked up from his computer, blinking, "Wha—"

I shoved the kitten into his face, "TURN IT OFF!!"

"It's not that simple!" Szayel rolled his eyes, pushing it back at me, "It's a baby! It needs attention! Here!" He shoved a bottle into my hands, "Feed it."

I glared at him, twitching, "You're telling me it isn't on solid food?!"

"If it were, it wouldn't occupy your time. Now, shoo." He waved me off, "I have work."

Oh, I shooed. But not before making sure I left Szayel nursing a hurt hip.

Back on our bed, I stared between the bottle in my hand and the offensive little fuzz ball I'd placed a good five feet away from me… A distance I had to work to maintain. Damned thing kept trying to crawl back over to me.

"Go. Away!"

"Meow!!"

I flicked its nose and it sat down, sneezing in indignation then glaring at me with its amber eyes narrowed and hissing and spitting at me. It then started to crawl towards the door, crying. Loudly.

I winced, stuffing my fingers into my ears and staring at the fuzzy ball of kitten. As always, Szayel stuck to his typical color scheme in designing this creature; amber eyes on pink fur. It was a tabby, and the accenting stripes on were black. It had a white underside that started under its chin and when down between the front legs, over the chest and stomach, and ended just between the back legs.

That's right, people; not only does Szayel make them plump and annoying (like Lumina and Verona), he can also make them cute and fuzzy.

And I was very, very disturbed by that fact.

Anyway, Kohaku just kept wailing, and eventually the door opened and Szayel stepped into the doorway, his knees hitting the edge of the mattress.

He glared at me, then winced and sighed heavily when the kitten started to cry to crawl up his pants. "You know…" He started, picking it up and holding it, letting it play with his fingers, "I made this for you to keep you occupied; not to ignore it."

"I am occupied." I retaliated, fingers still stuffed in my ears, "I'm occupying myself with thinking up ways of how to kill it."

Szayel glared at me harder, then detached the kitten from his front and crawled onto the bed.

I could only watch in shock as he shoved the kitten into my arms, forcing me to cradle it stomach down with one arm and hold the bottle with the other, angling my wrist so the nipple was right in front of Kokahu's face.

I blinked and looked down, admittedly amazed when Kohaku sniffed the nipple, then latched onto it and started sucking.

Szayel's hands hovered around my arms for a moment, then backed away slowly when he was convinced the kitten and I were settled. "Now…" He said quietly, inching back towards the door, "Take care of him… he is extremely dependant at this stage and needs you there for him."

"Nice maternal skills there, Pinky…" I muttered, still staring down at the ball of fuzzy pink in my arms.

"Shut up, Aporro."

The way he said this sounded a bit odd so I looked up, blinking when I was met by the sight of him smirking at me. When he saw me looking at him, he blinked, his smirk fading a bit. He then stood and turned, walking out.

I stared after him, blinking, then looked back down at Kohaku when he shifted in my arms.

He pulled back from the bottle and looked up at me, blinking. He then yawned and nestled down.

I twitched slightly, sighing; this was going to be a looooooooooong project…

* * *

Okay, how does that saying go? A woman becomes a mother when she finds out she's pregnant, but a man becomes a father when he holds his child… Something like that, right? Yeah, fuck. That.

Kohaku may not have been an actual baby, but damn it he was demanding like one… Following me everywhere, sleeping on me at night… The little shit wants attention _all the freakin' time_!!

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm not the most maternal female in the world… I'm probably the anti-maternal.

But when I found out that Kohaku followed me everywhere, and I mean _followed_ like he would run to keep up with me, I thought it was a bit… cool…

So, I started to test to see just how far he would go to follow me; I'd run through the corridors, taking turns as quickly as I could and hide just out of sight to see what he would do, duck behind doors and shut them partway to see if he would nudge them open to follow, leave the door to the bedroom open and leave him on the floor so I could peek over the edge and watch him climb up the comforter to get to me…

Cruel, I know, I know, okay?! Don't look at me like that! I'm not maternal at all!! …Or so I thought.

My last test involved me climbing up on top of a surgery table and watching over the edge as Kohaku tired to get to me; similar to the bed test, yeah, but this time there was no way for him to get up. The sides of the table were slick metal.

Kohaku sniffed the table for a moment, then looked up at me and meowed.

I just stared down at him.

Mewling, he then started to try to climb…

C'mon, climb a wall of metal; how dumb can you get?! His paws just patted and his claws scraped the metal, making no progress.

Kohaku whined pathetically, then took a few steps back and tried to jump up.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head and my chest twisted painfully when he crashed against the metal wall. And I only felt worse when he shook his head and went to try again.

I jumped down before he could jump and picked him up, sitting down and holding him close.

I started crying when he mewled and nuzzled my neck…

"I'm sorry… Never again… Mama's sorry, baby…"

"Good." I jumped, glaring when I saw Szayel leaning against the doorway, smirking down at me, "I was wondering when your maternal instincts were going to kick in… You've been tormenting that poor thing for days now. I was wondering if I would have to put him out of his misery and just—"

"Fuck off, Szayel." I hissed, holding Kohaku as close as I could without hurting him. He purred and started licking my jaw, making me shudder and giggle.

…Did I just giggle?! Fuck, this thing is already tainting me…

Szayel just continued smirking, then turned and walked away.

I glared after him for a moment, then stood and cradled Kohaku, nuzzling him and smiling.

Okay, so maybe I could be a cat person…

* * *

When Szayel decided to turn in for the night and headed back to his bedroom, the scene he was met with when he opened the door made him stop and smirk.

Aporro was already asleep, curled up near the head of the bed but not on the pillows. No, she seemed more concerned, even in her sleep, with making sure that she was as close to Kohaku as possible; putting her head on the pillow would have kept her away from the kitten too much.

The kitten in question was curled up against her chest, face tucked into his paws. He opened his eyes and lifted his head sleepily, looking at Szayel for a minute, then yawned widely and rolled over, burying his head against Aporro's chest.

Szayel's typically harsh smirk softened a bit and he unzipped his jacket, slipping it off and folding it neatly. Setting it at the foot of the bed, he took off his gloves, next, and paired them, folding them over and setting them on top of his jacket before crawling onto the bed.

He rolled his eyes when Kohaku lifted his head and glared, hissing softly, then froze when Aporro stirred.

She mumbled something to the kitten and nuzzled him, then looked up at Szayel and blinked.

Despite himself, Szayel felt his face redden slightly as her eyes roamed up and down his bare chest and torso, twitching when she smirked.

"Damn, and here I thought my dreams would never mingle with reality…" She paused, "…This is reality, right?"

Szayel sighed. Once the truth had come out, Aporro had made no attempt to hide how she felt about him, and her constant pursuing was making his restraint wear thin…

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold her off. Or hold himself back…

Yawning, Aporro reached out and grabbed the arm he was using to hold himself up, jerking it out from underneath him and making Szayel crash down onto the bed.

He blinked, then sighed when she situated herself so that she was still cradling Kohaku while now using his arm as a pillow, her head close to his shoulder. Szayel relaxed, laying down and watching her slip back into sleep.

He had a feeling his restraint wouldn't last much longer…


	25. XXV Love

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Okay, so I realized something this morning. There is _nothing_ better in the world than waking up to being pressed against the bare, warm chest of a person you find completely sexy and desirable. Nothing.

Well… I suppose it could be better if I'd woken up and we both were naked, but we weren't.

And I was starting to get the oddest feeling that we never would…

I mean, come on! I had been making passes at Szayel for _how_ long now? And the most he'd ever done was… well, yeah, alright. He had practically dry humped me once, and felt me up another, but for as long as I had been hitting on him that was _nothing_…

…Okay, remember my earlier observation that Szayel was the submissive one in the relationship? I was starting to think that that was true…

So, if I wanted anything to happen, I would have to take the initiative.

That's it, it's final! As soon as the opportunity presents itself, I am dragging Szayel back to this bed and screwing him senseless!

Oooooooo, that sounded like a really good idea right now… Then again, I was half asleep and I had a shitrless Szayel sleeping next to me. Chances are, when I was awake and he had his shirt on, I would chicken out.

Still, it had been a fun idea to entertain…

"GYA!!"

I jumped, staring at Szayel in shock as he sat up and looked down at his stomach, his eyes wide. I followed his gaze, biting my lip to hold back a laugh when I saw Kohaku standing on Szayel's stomach, looking up at the scientist with wide amber eyes. His little claws were buried in Szayel's skin.

Szayel twitched, "Aporro, get it off."

Snickering, I reached over and gently dislodged Kohaku's claws from Szayel's stomach. When I felt Szayel shudder, something inside of my stomach warmed. When I pulled Kohaku back and saw the little red dots on Szayel's stomach where the kitten's claws had been, I didn't really think about what I did next… I reached out and set my hand on his stomach, running the tips of my fingers over the tiny puncture marks.

Szayel shuddered again, his breath hitching in his chest.

I blinked when his abdomen twitched, then looked up to his face. What I saw made my face heat up.

Szayel was staring down at my hand, lips parted slightly and a blush slowly growing on his face. He looked dazed and his eyes were lidded heavily…

Holy shit… he looked hot…

Still not really thinking about what I was doing, I leaned forward, cupping his jaw with my free hand and tilting his head towards mine. And, no shitting, when I kissed him, for once he didn't hit me. _He actually kissed me back._

And, fuck, he was good… He'd never responded before, but now he was, and hot damn was it fantastic! His lips moved against mine in a slow rhythm, making a warm spark move from my lips down to my gut.

Spurred on, I leaned in, and shit Szayel shocked me when he leaned in and overpowered me, and then I was on my back and he was hovering over me, pressing his lips down harder.

Aaaaaarrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaa, this is fantastic… I think we're actually about t—

The door slammed open.

"MASTER SZA—"

"MMEEEEEOOOOWW!!"

"SHIIIIIIIIIIT!!"

I blinked at the ceiling, suddenly very light and cold. What in the hell… I sat up quickly, frowning.

Amiens and Ceillia were standing in the doorway, hands over their eyes. Szayel was sitting at the foot in the bed, face as pink as his hair as he pulled on his gloves and jacket.

"W-wait! Hold on a second!" I reached out for him, but he pushed passed his Fraccion and stood, tugging his jacket into place and zipping it up.

"Amiens, what was it you were screaming about?"

"Szayel, don't igno—"

"Ulquiorra, sir! Something is—"

"To the control room! Quickly!"

"Sza—" The door slammed shut and I was left alone in a dim room with a kitten clinging to my chest and still completely turned on…

Oh, _hell no_, he was not getting off that easy.

Working my jaw and peeling Kohaku from my shirt, I sat back against the headboard and began to plot the demise of Szayel's (assumed) virginity…

* * *

Szayel typed away furiously at his keyboard, trying to forget the incident that had just happened… Though his mind was working in complete opposition of his wishes and kept playing it over and over again.

Waking up with the girl curled up against his chest had been one thing… And an innocent enough thing.

After all, it wasn't the first time she had slept against him, and before nothing had happened.

…Well, unfortunately, this time they'd had that bloody cat in the bed with them, and the little demon had buried his claws into Szayel's stomach.

Okay, he could live with that; he'd been expecting it when he'd made the kitten. Kittens scratched. It was a fact of nature.

Then, he'd ordered Aporro to get it off, and she had. Nothing out of the ordinary there; she usually followed his orders, if sometimes grudgingly.

But for some reason, when her skin had brushed his, he'd… reacted… His hakama had actually _tightened_.

Damn it, it had been a while since the last time he'd sought 'entertainment' back in Las Noches, and when she'd touched him like that it make him remember just _how_ long.

Aporro had touched him before… and several times he'd nearly reciprocated, but at least then he'd been thinking. This time, though… he'd let his instincts get the better of him. He'd nearly—

Szayel stopped typing for a moment to shake his head and pinch the bridge of his nose. He _really_ needed to stop thinking about her in those terms… Otherwise next time he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He'd end up doing what his body wanted… or, rather, letting her do what she wanted. She was quite forceful, and humans were far more sex-driven than Arrancar.

If she wanted him as badly as she let on, she'd quickly end up dominating.

Not that Szayel really had a problem with that; he didn't care either way—

"Shit." Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose harder, making his eyes water. No, he did care! He did care!! It couldn't happen! He couldn'—

And why not?

"Because she's a human?!" Szayel hissed, twitching when he realized he was talking to himself.

'She's hardly human anymore.' What he assumed to be his sex-drive countered, 'Or have you forgotten that being reborn through _Gabriel_ has cemented her DNA as it is, where part of it is you. And she wasn't even entirely human when Nnoitra brought her back; she has slowly been losing it for these past several months.'

"I still have to use her as a doppelganger." Szayel grumbled, resuming his typing, though at a much slower pace, "And things would become… awkward if we did. Humans expect long-term commitment. Arrancar typically tend to stick to what humans term 'one-night stands'… And, even if there is continued contact, there is no emotional connection…"

'I fail to see your point.'

"Of course you do…" Szayel sighed. The sex-drive focused on just that; sex. The consequences never came to mind… Which was why Szayel rarely let his sex-drive take over.

Still… with this girl pulling the stunts she was, he'd admit it was hard to resist.

Shit, he could still feel her lips and body and it was making him tight again… or, rather, tight_er_. He still hadn't completely recovered from earlier.

And he had a feeling he wasn't going to for a while, considering the pair of arms that had just wrapped around his waist.

'Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit…'

* * *

"Aporro…" Szayel muttered, no longer typing, "What are you…" He trailed of when I nipped the side of his neck.

"What?" I asked quietly, "You think you can just lead me on like that and then get up and walk off? Hell no. Besides," I ran my hands down from his stomach to his thighs, smirking slightly when his hips rolled up, "You weren't done, either."

Growling, Szayel grabbed my wrist and dragged my hand over to cup his growing erection, shuddering and hissing, "Damn you…"

My face was on fire and I could hear my heart in my ears when he rolled his hips up into my hand. "Come with me…" I muttered, wrapping my free arm around his waist and pulling him back towards the room, "Let me try tempting fate again…"

Szayel stood immediately and turned on me, wrapping an arm around my waist and keeping my hand against his groin, "You don't know what you're inviting…"

"Let me worry about that." I muttered, kissing him and walking backwards.

He followed without a fight, kissing back and shuddering when I rubbed my hand up and down on his groin.

When I bumped into the door, I hastily removed my hand from Szayel and fumbled with his jacket zipper with one hand, reaching back and looking for the doorknob with the other.

Pressing close, Szayel reached passed me and turned the handle. Taking advantage of his distraction, I grabbed the front of his jacket and spun around, slamming him against the wall next to the door and kicking it open.

In a confusion of rustling clothes, deep kissing and commanding shoves and grunts, I had Szayel on his back on the bed, closing the door quickly and then pouncing to straddle his hips and resuming kissing him and unzipping his jacket.

Szayel shuddered as the cool air touched his skin, then shuddered again when I started trailing my lips down his neck and chest.

"Aahhhh… Aporro…" He hissed, bucking up, "No teasing…"

"Impatient?" I smirked, nipping his stomach, "What, have you been having wet dreams about this?" My only answer was a hiss and a breathy 'Aaaaa…'. Gut tingling, I ran my tongue from his stomach up to his chin, capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

Inhaling sharply, Szayel reached up and started fumbling with my zipper, lifting his hips when I started to undo his hakama. I had to talk him through unhooking my bra, and once he had it off he froze.

Rolling my eyes, I sat up and slipped my arms out of the straps, using my position to grind down on his erection as I tossed the bra aside, a deep moan crawling out from my throat as he rubbed up against my core. And we still didn't have our underwear off, yet…

Szayel arched back, eyes rolling back in his head and his mouth opening in a soundless moan, a deep hiss of air coming out, instead.

I stopped, breathing heavily, and took a moment to stare down at him, "You're being quite compliant…"

Szayel smirked slightly, chuckling with a ragged breath, "I never was good at being commanding at things like this…"

"Good…" I leaned forward, bracing my hands on either side of his head and forcing him to look at me, "Because I have quite a bit of pent up frustration right now, and I'm not stopping until you scream for me to end it…" When his eyes widened slightly, I smirked, "Time for you to be the bitch, for once."

His eyes flashed, "Is that so?"

I reached down, slipping a finger under his waistband, "It is."

* * *

As it turned out, I was a virgin.

And it stung like a bitch to end _that_ state of being.

Still, after the first, second, third, fourth thrust, the pain was almost nonexistent, and by the time it came, bursting from my groin and spreading up through me like a white fire that made my vision flash and my mind stop and restart, there was no pain.

I'd slumped forward and collapsed on Szayel's chest for a moment, panting, then sat up and started all over with no less fervor than before…

And Szayel… Okay, I'm laughing my ass off as I'm telling you this, but as it turned out I was right. He was submissive, and that was damn near putting it mildly. He was also extremely sensitive…

Which kinda sucked, because as soon as we were done he basically passed out.

Not that I was planning on being awake much longer, but it kinda would have been nice to be the first to fall asleep so I could fall asleep in those same supportive arms that had held me when I was sick. But, no… Szayel had passed out and gone completely limp.

Man, he must have been holding back on sex for a very, very long time if he'd passed out like that…

Still awake and unable to sleep, I just stared at him and thought. Thought about how this would change things…

Szayel had never expressly said that it was impossible for Arrancar to love, but I wasn't sure Szayel had it in him… What had happened… was really nothing more than a release of a build up of lust on his part.

As for me…

Fuck, what had this been for me?

Yeah, Szayel was unbelievably sexy, but I'd once told him I would die for him… And I'd meant it.

I'd retracted it when I had been trapped in that endless void, but now that I thought about it… I still meant it.

I would die for him.

And had Szayel been the one who had been injected with the Superhuman Drug and had died… I couldn't imagine what my life would be like after that. Did that mean I wouldn't be able to live without him?

…Oh my god, I couldn't imagine living without him. Thinking about him dying now… Fuck, I was crying…

Oh my god…

I loved him…

I actually loved him.

Fuck, I'd fallen in love with Szayel Aporro Grantz.


	26. XXVI Oddly Sickly

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, my only bed companion was Kohaku… Which was fine by me. I didn't much care to see Szayel right now… I wasn't feeling well.

And it wasn't just because I was sore, though that was a factor… I was so embarrassed I was queasy.

Kohaku being back in bed with me meant Ceillia had been by; I'd left him in her care. And if Ceillia had come by, then Szayel was out in the lab working. And that was a good thing; it meant he'd be busy all day.

Leaving the kitten curled up on the warm spot where I had been laying, I pulled on my clothes and got up, shuffling out of the room and down the hall to the shower. Fuck, I was sore…

The queasiness didn't fade by the time I got to the shower, and after I was clean it seemed even worse.

Ugh, Arrancar semen better not have anything in it that'll kill me… Otherwise I'll have to kick Szayel's ass.

Shaking my head to free it of water droplets, I dressed and draped a towel over my head, wandering out to look for Szayel. It suddenly occurred to me that we were in such close quarters because Las Noches was still under attack, and I was curious as to how things were going… As well as how much longer we were gonna be stuck here.

"I want monitors thirty-nine through fifty back online in five minutes." Szayel was muttering, "Amiens, send out a message to Verona to have her secure what she can of my laboratories." He was clacking away on a computer again, a headset with a mouthpiece clamped over his ears.

I crossed my arms and stared at the back of his head, gesturing for Ceillia and Amiens to be quiet when they noticed me.

"Damn it…" Szayel hissed, slamming his fist down when one of the monitors in front of him that was hooked up to a camera somewhere in Las Noches went grey with static, "Shit! What is going on?! Ulquiorra is gone and just what in the hell is Yammy thinking?! And where is Lord Aizen?! Shiiiiiit…"

"If you're so worried…" I started, smirking when he jumped and froze, "Then why don't you go back out, yourself?"

Szayel threw a glare over his shoulder, then turned back to the computer when he started turning red, "There are four Captain-class shinigami out there, and Aaroniero, Zommari, Nnoitra and even Ulquiorra are dead, and Grimmjow's status is unconfirmed. I would get slaughtered if I went out there now…" He sneered, "And that Kurotsuchi bastard has probably already formulated a plan that would work against me without fail. Going back out now is pointless."

"…So, Las Noches is losing…"

The scientist stiffened and hissed, "Yes, alright?!"

There was silence, and then he shook his head.

"For now. As soon as Lord Aizen, Sirs Gin and Tosen, and Stark, Barragan and Halibel get back, things will get back under control and we can banish these shinigami bastards from our palace."

"And if it doesn't work that way, Szayel?" I asked, walking towards him, "If they lose? The shinigami could take Las Noches and flush us out, Szayel. What then? We get executed or turned over to Kurotsuchi? Are you prepared for that kind of humiliation, not to mention the grim prospects?"

Szayel, who had gradually slowed his typing, turned to me and blinked, "Just what are you suggesting, Aporro?"

I shrugged, "No shame in abandoning a sinking ship." After I said it, I immediately wished I hadn't. The cold, harsh look Szayel shot me was enough to make the contents of my stomach turn to icy slush.

"There is every shame, Aporro." Szayel hissed, his eyes narrowing as he stood, "And if we fled? What then? There is nowhere in Hueco Mundo for us to go, and the human world is out of the question." He walked towards me slowly, steadily, never relenting as I stepped back, "Lord Aizen created us, and Las Noches is the only world we belong to… the only one we _can_ belong to. Las Noches is our home, our prison, our hell, Aporro. It and the power struggle that its foundations are built upon are all we Arrancar have."

I pressed back against the wall he had cornered me at, nervous, then desperately tried to change the subject, "You're really good in bed, you know."

Szayel balked, stumbling back and staring at me with wide amber eyes. Damn, he has such pretty eyes… And then those pretty eyes were gone as Szayel turned back to his computer terminal, "Aporro, go take care of your kitten. He's supposed to keep you out of my way."

…Someone remind me why I had sex with this heartless prick?! "Fuck you, Szayel." I hissed, turning and storming out. When the collar shocked me, the queasiness that I was still feeling reached a high that I couldn't stand and I fell to my feet, losing my stomach.

Ugh! Never, in my whole life, have I ever thrown up as much as I had in Las Noches… And the food here tasted as bad coming up as it did going down! This sucked!

"Aporro?!"

I flinched away from the hands that settled on my back and chest, trying to right me.

"Aporro, what is it? Are you—"

"It's nothing, you prick!" I snarled, batting his hands away and standing. "I'm fine!" I glared down at him, leaning against the wall, then forced myself to stand straight and stumbled off, heading to the bathroom.

Son of a bitch, only showing any concern or care when it looked like I was sick…

Screw him! I'll do just fine on my own!

* * *

Turns out I wasn't 'fine'.

Fuckin' queasiness wouldn't go away, not all day, and not even when I went to bed.

Poor little Kohaku kept pacing around me and crying, and it took me a bit to figure out he was worried. So was I. I had to curl up in a tight ball to just take away from the queasiness, and even then it was only slightly. Nothing I did seemed to make it go away…

I winced when the door opened behind me, curling up tighter and clamping my eyes shut.

"…Aporro…" Szayel eased his way onto the bed and took a seat carefully behind me, grabbing my shoulder and trying to turn me onto my back, "You're ill…"

"'m fine." I hissed, jerking away from his hand, "Just a little nauseous."

"And how long have you felt like this?"

"Why the fuck do you care?" I shuddered, lowering my voice when shouting made me sicker, "Don't worry about it. I'll be better in time for more fighting…"

Szayel sighed heavily, "Aporro… Quit being melodramatic."

I shuddered again, closing my eyes. Damn it, my stomach hurt so much… Then he was laying down behind me, arm draped over my side, and I turned to him, giving in, "Szayel, it hurts…"

"Tell me everything and I can make you something for it…" He muttered back, not cradling me but not pushing me away, either.

"I feel sick…" I curled up against him, "I've been throwing up all day, and there's nothing left… and it hurts."

"Anything else? Headache? Heartburn? Are any of your joints sore?"

"Just my stomach…"

"Well, that's easy enough to take care of." Szayel muttered, slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small silver tube. Sitting up, he eased me up after him and handed me the tube, "Just drink it."

I did so without questioning, shuddering and pulling my knees up to my chest when whatever was in the tube slid down smooth at first, then fizzed and sent out a numbing coolness as soon as it hit my stomach.

The queasiness was gone in an instant, and I was left numb and groggy.

"Better?"

"Mm-hmm…" I nodded slowly, leaning against him heavily, "Szay… you don't… regret it… do you?"

"…Go to sleep, Aporro." Szayel muttered, easing me back down onto the bed.

At that point, I was too sleepy to question him for not responding. So, I nodded and curled up against him, letting whatever was in the vial finally put me to sleep.

* * *

It's not good to gain five pounds overnight, is it?

I stared down at the scale in Szayel's bathroom, frowning.

When I'd woken up, I felt worlds better, but I was ravenous. And the thing about Szayel's food is, while it's designed to fill you up quickly, it's also designed to keep you slim and at a healthy weight for your size and build… And with Szayel's basic build, I 'filled up' too quickly. So, I ate until my stomach hurt.

Still… gaining five pounds…

Sighing, I unzipped my jacket and pulled it back, loosening my hakama slightly and looking at my stomach.

Ever since the Doppelganger Pill, I'd always been rather slim… but now my stomach was pouching out slightly.

Okay, maybe I had overdone it eating as much as I had… Even Szayel had thrown me an odd look when I kept eating.

I stared at my stomach a moment longer, then sighed and tightened my hakama, zipping up my jacket. You couldn't tell I had gained any weight with my clothes on, so for now I wouldn't tell Szayel. I'd just be more careful about how much I ate in one sitting.

I was just about to leave the bathroom when a wave of nausea hit, making me turn back. It wasn't as bad as before, but I still ended up emptying my stomach. Damn it, and after I'd just gotten done eating… And now I was hungry again.

But more than being hungry, I was tired… and I had to pee, really really badly.

Sighing as I left the bathroom, I went back to bed and flopped down, hugging and nuzzling Kohaku.

I felt bloated and cold, and damn it this room needed airing out… It smelled like sex and BO. And cat urine. Fuck, Kohaku's been peeing on the bed?! UGH!!

* * *

When Szayel went to go to bed for a quick nap, he blinked when he saw the door open.

He walked around to the doorway, "Apo—" A pillow smacked his face.

Shaking his head, Szayel dodged yet another pillow, then stood back and watched as the pillows were followed by a comforter, then a sheet, then another sheet, then the fitted sheet, and the—

"Aporro, what in the hell are you doing?!"

Her head popped up from the other side of the mattress she was pushing out of the doorway, amber eyes blinking. "Oh, hey, Szayel! Sorry, I'll clean this up as soon as I get all of it washed."

"Washed?" Szayel quirked a brow.

"Yeah. It smells like sweat, sex and cat pee."

Szayel blinked, watching as she picked up the bedding, threw it onto the mattress, then grabbed the mattress and took off down the hall in search of the laundry room. He glanced back at the room, blinking when he saw Kohaku the pink kitten sitting on the box mattress, staring at him in confusion.

"Meow…"

Sighing, the scientist picked up the kitten by his scruff and walked after his experiment/guinea pig/lover.

Szayel twitched, shaking his head slightly. He shouldn't think about her in those terms… As soon as the Seireitei was taken, any further fighting on Szayel and Aporro's part would be unnecessary, and he would be able to use her for breeding…

He was sure Lord Aizen would be more than willing to let him extract a few samples from the human males they were fighting against now.

And that Quincy… yes, that would be an experiment worth performing.

In vitro—

For some reason or another, Szayel's mind substituted the mental image he had created of performing an in vitro fertilization with Aporro and the Quincy actually copulating and he froze.

'No… Not the Quincy…'

Scowling, he draped the kitten across his arm and resumed walking, speeding up. The more he thought about candidates for possible crossbreeding with Aporro, the more he realized that none of the specimens he had information on met his standards for _that_ experiment.

It was ridiculous, he knew, because none of the candidates would be having intercourse with Aporro, but still… Ishida, Abarai, Kurosaki, Yatsutora, and he wasn't even including all of the shinigami that had come in after the first wave… none of them were acceptable.

And then there was her human world mate, 'Kohaku'…

Szayel scowled deeply. No. Not him. _Especially_ not him. He'd sooner allow Kurotsuchi to copulate with Aporro than he would even plant that human's seed into her in vitro.

And he wouldn't be breeding Aporro with anyone until he found the perfect candidate.

The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized that none of his prospects thus far came even _close_ to meeting his standards.

…Yet, he also couldn't simply abandon the project altogether, either.

He had to make sure the data from his first experiment with the Doppelganger Pill survived not only on paper an in digital memory, but also in flesh and blood.

Aporro's bloodline needed to continue, and simply taking a vial of her blood wouldn't suffice; eventually, the cell culture would degenerate and her DNA would be lost…

That, of course, would only be a major worry after she died, but it was better to be safe and prepared.

In short, Aporro needed to have a child. And soon… Before either she or Szayel, himself, died in battle.

Szayel came out of his depressing reverie when he finally turned into the laundry room, blinking when he saw Aporro laying down in a basket of clean sheets and towels, the washer open and running with half of a mattress sticking out of the top.

Szayel blinked again just to make sure that, yes, Aporro was laying in a basket of clean laundry, nestling down into the sheets and smiling happily, inhaling deeply.

"What smell is this?!"

"…Dune grass."

Aporro grinned and cackled, burrowing down deeper until only her legs were sticking out.

"…Aporro, what are you doing?"

"Smelling!" Came the muffled answer from down in the sheets and towels, her legs waving. "Everything suddenly smells so much more than usual! And these towels smell fantastic!! Dune grass, you said?"

"Aporro, you should get out of there before you hurt yourself…" Szayel glanced at the washer, "And help me get that mattress out of the washer. You aren't supposed to wash them like that…"

"It smells." Aporro popped her head out of the basket, blinking at him, "Very bad. Needs to be washed. One end at a time, if needed…" She glanced at the washer, "And it is needed. I couldn't shove the whole thing in there in one load…"

Szayel sighed heavily, then frowned, "Your sense of smell is stronger?"

Aporro sat up, nodding, "Yeah, it's weird… Suddenly everything seems a whole lot smellier… Like you…" Her eyelids dropped heavily as she inhaled, "You smell fantastic…"

Amber eyes widened slightly, "You hate the way I smell… Remember? You hate pomegranates."

"Not right now I don't…" Aporro muttered, rubbing a bit of saliva off of her bottom lip, "Right now I want them…Do we have any pomegranates anywhere?"

Szayel gave a small frown, "Delicacies like that come from the human world, and our imports from there are few and far between… We don't serve them without a good cause…"

"But Szaaaaayyyyeeeeelll…" She wined, stumbling out of the basket and over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning against him heavily, "I waaaaaaaaaaaant sooooooome…"

"Fine." He twitched, "Just please get off of me… They're in the kitchen pantry."

Smiling widely, Aporro leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then turned and ran out of the room, heading to the kitchen.

Szayel stared after her, shocked.

She had to be ill.

That was the only explanation.

Nausea, throwing up, sensitivity to smell, craving foods she hated, odd mood… Perhaps some form of mania…

He would have to remedy it. Quickly.

He doubted he could stand her being in this odd state much longer… And it had hardly been two days.


	27. XXVII Pregnant

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Szayeeeeeeeeeeeel…" Aporro groaned, rocking forward and rolling her hips down on Szayel hard, "C'mon, you had no problem doing it the other night…"

"The other night was a mistake." Szayel hissed, inhaling sharply when she lightly trailed her fingers down his stomach and then down further, making his body react. "Aporro, get off."

Aporro rolled her eyes and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his and pouting. "Szayel, quit being such a stiff…" She paused, then smirked, "Well," She then twisted her hips down, smirking when he inhaled and closed his eyes. "Stiff down there is actually the aim, but you need to loosen u—"

Growling, Szayel found it necessary to end this before it got too far and put Aporro in her place. Sitting up, he pushed her off and turned away, glaring over his shoulder, "Aporro, go to sleep."

"…You think I'm fat, don't you?"

Freezing in his drop down onto the bed, Szayel blinked and took a moment to process what she had just asked him.

It was so absurd that for a moment he wondered if she had spoken a different language.

Szayel sat back up and turned towards her, "What?!" He blinked when she saw that she was crying, fat tears already pouring down her face. "…Aporro, what are you talking about?"

His head snapped to the side as she slapped him.

Szayel blinked, staring at the back wall, then pressed a hand to his cheek and turned to face her again. She was now pale and crying.

"You know what I'm talking about, you bastard! You think I'm fat! That's why you won't have sex with me anymore!"

"Aporro, we've only been intimate once! That hardly calls for the use of the word 'anymore'!"

"And I've gained seven pounds since then, you bastard! That's why you won't do it with me again! You think I'm fat!"

Szayel was, once again, shocked into silence, and didn't have time to call after Aporro as she choked back a sob and fled the room.

Frequent urination? Nausea? Sensitivity to smells? Odd food cravings? Mood swings? Sudden, unexplained weight gain?

"Oh… shit…"

* * *

That shallow son of a bitch!!

How dare he refuse to have sex with me just because I'm fat?!

…Oh, god, I'm fat! I'm hideous! He'll never look at me again!!

Sobbing, I dove into Ceillia and Amiens room and flung myself at the female Arrancar, clinging to her and wailing.

I don't think Szayel had ever taught his Fraccion do deal with things that weren't orders, because all she did was sit up and sit there stiffly, asking over and over, "Master Aporro? Master Aporro? What is it? Master Aporro?" Amiens was asking much the same thing.

I think I felt Szayel's reiatsu pass by at one point or another, and I think I heard him mutter something to his Fraccion… Whatever it was, it may have been instructions, because Amiens fell silent and Ceillia stopped asking stupid questions and started rubbing my back.

Then Szayel was gone.

Okay, Szayel may not have taught his Fraccion how to deal with 'emotional' type situations, but he did design them with large, strong hands…

Calming down, I nestled down against Ceillia's stomach and closed my eyes. I was so damned tired…

"You need to sleep, Master Aporro…" Ceillia said quietly.

I nodded, relaxing as she pulled my legs up onto the bed and laid back down.

Though she was a bit stiff in her movements and reluctant to keep close contact with me, Ceillia turned out to be a good shoulder to cry on, and it was on her that I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up again, Szayel called me into the front lab and had me sit down to do a blood test. He wouldn't tell me what for, and he wouldn't even meet my eyes, so I sat back and waited as he drew blood, then went off and messed with his machines.

I wasn't about to ask him anything… especially not after how I'd acted last time.

Dear god, what had gotten into me…?

"Aporro."

I blinked, jumping slightly as I snapped out of replaying my horrendous actions from the other day and nodding sheepishly, "Yeah?"

Szayel looked at me for a moment, then sighed heavily and took a seat on the table across from mine, sighing heavily again and slumping.

I blinked, shocked into silence. Szayel was never this lazy when it came to his posture… Just what…

"Aporro, I have something very serious I need to talk to you about pertaining to your blood results…"

I stiffened. This didn't sound good. "Is… is it fatal? Am I… terminally ill or something?"

"Not quite." Szayel sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Over the past few days you have been displaying symptoms of a… 'condition' that until last night I hadn't thought of being possible… By all accounts, it shouldn't be possible. Our kind simply weren't meant to cross in that way…"

"What…" I blinked, frowning slightly, "Did having sex with you give me some weird Arrancar disease or STD?"

Szayel pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead, inhaled, then exhaled slowly and lifted his head, clasping his hands and meeting my eyes seriously, "Aporro, you're pregnant."

I blinked, staring at him. "…What?"

"You're pregnant." He repeated calmly.

I stared at him for a moment longer, then fell over onto the table and started laughing. It started off small, then it good louder and harder until I was rolled onto my back, clutching my gut and screaming out gales of laughter.

"Oh, dear _GOD_, Szayel, you actually had me going there for a minute!!" I sat up, snickering, "Man, you don't joke very often, but when you do it's great!"

"I assure you, Aporro, I do not jest." Szayel said flatly.

"Uh-uh." I grinned, rolling my eyes, "Anyway, you said you'd thought it impossible? Why? I'm curious about that part…" And I was. It sounded interesting.

Szayel sighed. "Because Arrancar were originally Hollows, our sex drives usually don't play a large roll in our lives. In fact, the drive for sex in Arrancar belongs to the shinigami side, alone. But, the DNA of Arrancar eggs and sperm is still Arrancar, and thus typically incompatible with any species other than Arrancar."

I snickered, nodding for him to go on. Man, he was really into this joke…

"However, you do have a partial strand of Arrancar DNA in your main DNA complex; mine. When I implanted it in you, it never occurred to me that it would take root as deeply as it has, but it is logical to say that my DNA has made you capable of reproducing with Arrancar because the female reproductive organs play such a large role in your anatomy that the Doppelganger Pill would have had no choice but to integrate my DNA into your reproductive anatomy."

Man… he really thought this joke out, didn't he…?

"I know that it typically takes nine months for a human female to develop and deliver a child, and that would make you hesitant to believe that you are pregnant; you may be thinking that the sudden weight gain is simply because you're eating too much and that everything else is just an illness. However, in what few cases of Arrancar pregnancy that have been recorded by the medical wing of Las Noches, the gestation period for the offspring was only about thirty-five days."

…Oh my god… I think he's actually…

"This can be attributed to the fact that Hollows live dramatically short lives because of the constant threat of being devoured. Because of this, any vestigial remains of reproductive anatomy within the Hollows would be geared towards a dramatically shortened gestation period; this would explain why Arrancar offspring are born in such a short amount of time, and also why you are already showing."

…I think… he's being… serious…

"I'm not sure just how long your gestation period will be, but I am sure it will be short. However, there are other things we have to concern ourselves with… namely the mask… All Arrancar have masks, no matter how small. Arrancar wombs can handle them… to an extent. Because Arrancar typically don't reproduce, though, they often need assistance. A human womb, however…" Szayel frowned, "Aporro, you're in grave danger."

By now, my face was so cold with how much blood had drained from it. My hands were shaking and the whole room was spinning…

Dear god…

"Szayel… you're… serious, aren't you…?"

He nodded, deadpanned, "Very. Aporro, you're—"

"Pregnant…"

The world turned grey and inverted, I crashed on my side, then all there was was black.

* * *

When I woke again, I was in a thin, flimsy medical gown, pressed down onto a soft mattress by several thick, very warm blankets, and I was hooked up to several beeping monitors.

And my stomach…

I set my hand on my stomach, closing my eyes.

It was still there…

That child…

I opened my eyes, sitting up and looking around.

I was alone in this lab's small recovery ward, hooked up to an EKG, several fluid lines, and several other machines I didn't recognize…

It looked like Szayel was prepared to do anything in his power to make sure this child and I survived.

Scowling, I threw back the blankets and slipped off of the bed, unplugging all of the monitors before unhooking myself from them.

I had to get out of here.

I had to escape.

And this time, I meant it…

I loved Szayel. With every fiber of my being did I love him.

But this baby… I couldn't stand this.

I didn't know how to feel about it, or what to think.

And there was no one here… not a damned person I could talk to.

Szayel, the father… naturally, the obvious one _not_ to chose.

Ceillia and Amiens, the Fraccion… they would offer no help, or even advice. They lived to follow orders, not create individual thought.

No one… I had no one here…

I needed out… out where I could find someone.

I _needed_ someone to talk to.

And there was no time to make a thorough plan; I would simply have to escape. Hopefully Szayel would be too busy looking for a usable security camera in order to widen his picture of what was going on with Las Noches… From what I had gathered, things weren't looking too hot, so he should be very busy.

Wasting no time to even change, I ran straight for the exit, fiddled around with the security lock for a moment, then sprang out when the door opened.

Hueco Mundo is always night… there is no sun. Which I was damned happy for because if there had been a sun, I would have baked alive.

Still, like any other desert, Hueco Mundo is real fucking cold at night… Meaning it's always sub-fucking-zero.

Okay, so I was exaggerating a bit; if I had proper clothes on, it wouldn't have seemed so cold.

But, seeing as I only had a medical gown, yeah. It was cold.

But I didn't have time to worry about the cold; I had to get the hell out of here before Szayel noticed I was gone. Vaguely remembering that Szayel said this lab was northeast of Las Noches, I paused and considered heading back to the palace… But that idea was quickly dashed.

Last Szayel had been bitching about it, the palace was under the siege of the shinigami… and chances were good that Kurotsuchi bastard was still there. Besides, I still looked like Szayel… If a pregnant one, at that.

I glanced down at my stomach, wincing slightly. The bulge was more pronounced than before. Yeah… a pregnant Szayel.

Anyway, _looking_ like Szayel was enough to get me captured or killed. And, even if it wasn't, I'd never see Szayel again. And it's not that I didn't want to see him again… I just didn't want to be around him right now. Anyway, no way in hell was I going back to Las Noches until Aizen was back in control.

So, instead of heading back towards Las Noches… I turned and ran in the opposite direction. Yes, ran. If Szayel saw me on his damned monitors, you can bet he'd sonido after me.

I had to cover a lot of ground, and fast.

And I did as best I could, turning and taking off into the forest of sand dunes that was the endless expanse of Hueco Mundo.

And I say as best I could because, damn it, this baby was getting in the way…

Holy shit, I'm pregnant…

I ran faster.


	28. XXVIII The Outside Sucks

*sighs* I don't particularly like this chapter... But neeeeeeeeeeh... It's here, it's necessary, next chapter is better. I promise.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Fuck, how long had I been running before I'd had to walk?

How long had I been walking before I'd had to limp?

How long had I been limping before I'd collapsed?

How long had I collapsed before I'd been surrounded by these Hollows…

And how long had these Hollows just been staring at me before I'd recovered and stood?

Szayel said Hollows attacked human souls… so why were they just staring at me?

I looked around, frowning.

Some of the larger ones seemed to want to attack, but kept fluttering back after taking half a step or so forward, as if afraid of the consequences. The smaller ones just flat out stayed back.

I watched them for a moment, then took a step towards one side.

The Hollows quickly took a step roughly of the same size back.

I took another step towards the same side and, again, the Hollows shrank back.

"Don't pusshh your luck, huuuman."

Jumping, I spun and lowered myself into a defensive position, glaring at the line of Hollows behind me. "Who said that?!"

"Watch your back, huuuman…" A serpentine Hollow hissed, coiling and raising its head, red flashing beneath its mask, "You may sssmell of the Broken Onesss, but it won't be long before that protection fadessss, and then you're oursss…"

I fumbled for the two syringes, holding them close to my chest and walking steadily towards the line of Hollows. They parted as I approached, letting me pass, but watched me closely as I went, several slithering into the sand.

I could feel the rest of them disperse, none of them straying too far but all staying out of sight.

Goddamned vultures… they were waiting for me to die…

Swallowing hard, I looked down at the syringes.

Two injections of Fornicaras serum…

It suddenly struck me that running away was very, veeeeery stupid. Las Noches was the only settlement in all of Hueco Mundo… all there was outside of it was desert. An endless expanse of desert.

And, here I was, a human pregnant by an Arrancar, surrounded by human-eating Hollows, with nothing but two injections of Fornicaras serum as protection.

On average, one injection would last anywhere from three to five hours, depending on how the energy was used… At most, that was ten hours of use of Fornicaras. And then what?

I stopped walking, looking around. Damn it… which direction had I come from? How did I get back to Szayel?

The lab was located northeast of Las Noches… and in order to avoid heading back to Las Noches, I had continued going northeast. So, to get back to the lab, I had to go southwest. All I had to do was watch where the sun set, and…

DAMN IT, THERE IS NO SUN IN LAS NOCHES!!

WHERE IN THE HELL IS SOUTHWEST?!

I spun around, frantic, then blinked.

There, right in front of me, was the visage of the gigantic palace of Las Noches.

That's right… It's so frikkin' big, you could spot it for miles from any point around it in Hueco Mundo.

Now I feel like an idiot…

Sighing, I turned and started to walk towards the gigantic palace, pausing when I saw a ripple in the air to my right.

I blinked, watching as several Hollows walked through a rip in the air…

Holy hell.

One of those inter-world Garganta-thingies…

That thing was probably going to Earth…

Immediately, I turned and ran towards it.

I didn't know where in the hell it would come out, but I didn't give a damn. Garganta-thingies meant Earth, and Earth meant humans, and I hadn't seen another human other than Orihime in _forever_.

I wasn't thinking about never being able to come back, or being hunted down. Actually, I wasn't even thinking anymore.

I dove through with the Hollows, running through the cold and towards the light on the other side, and then I was surrounded by blinding light, falling down, down, down, down and…

Dark.

* * *

"Dearie… come on, now, wake up. This isn't the safest place to be at the moment…"

I groaned, rolling onto my side and holding my stomach. Damn…

"Up you go, now, dearie, before you and your child are really hurt…"

Whimpering, I rolled onto my stomach and planted my hands on the ground, peeling my eyes open and pushing myself up. A polished grey-speckled black stone came into focus right in front of my face, and I blinked at the writing on it, "Hideki… Tamashiro. 1918 to 2007. Loving husband… devoted father…"

"He lived a good life."

I turned around and looked up, blinking at the elderly woman with a short chain coming out of her chest sitting before the grave I was laying on. A spirit…

Wait… I was laying on a…

"Dear god, I'm sorry!" I yelped, scrambling off of the stone gravesite and kneeling behind the woman slightly, bowing and pressing my forehead to the ground, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Do not worry, dearie." The elderly woman chuckled, reaching out and patting my head, "Hideki would not mind at all… Actually, he might have found it rather amusing. Now, sit up before you hurt your child, you silly thing."

Wincing, I sat up, keeping my head bowed, "I am so sorry, ma'am. I just… when I fell out of the Garganta—"

"Is that what that black hole was called?" The woman sighed, "Dear me, I am learning too many new words in one sitting… Why, just a while ago, a shinigami came by, telling me to leave before I was devoured by the 'Gillian' and the 'Adjuchas'… Really, it would have been so much easier if he had simply said 'Hollows'." She glanced back at me, "Are you one of those types of Hollows, dear?"

"Oh, no." I shook my head, "I'm human…"

"Hmm…" She frowned slightly, "Tell me, why did you come out of the… 'Garganta', was it?"

"Y-yes, it was…" I looked down at my lap, "And that… well… I was staying with someone on the other side…"

"The father of your child, perhaps?" When I looked up at her, she smirked lightly, "I know heartbreak when I see it, dear. You're running from him, aren't you?"

I looked down again, placing one hand on my stomach. "I… All I have there is him, and he… I love him, but emotions aren't really his forte, and… I don't… he doesn't love…"

"You?" She finished, sighing when I fell silent, "Dear, surely the man must love you if you stayed with him long enough to develop the sort of relationship to have a child…"

"…The child…" I rasped, clenching my hands, "Was… unplanned… and he… it's impossible for him to love me—"

"Ridiculous!" When I looked up, the woman huffed and turned back to the tombstone. "Hideki died several years ago, overseas. They brought his body back for cremation, but his soul has yet to return… Many shinigami have come to try to persuade me to cross over. They say it's 'impossible', but I can assure you, child that it is not. You see, child, Hideki and I entered a loveless marriage. It wasn't until after our first child that we came to love one another…" She glanced back at me, "A child changes everything, dear. Believe me."

I sighed, "You don't understan—"

"Do you love him or not, child?" When I nodded, the woman shrugged, "Then there is little else I need to understand. You love him and he is the father of your child." She turned back to the tomb, smiling lightly, "I cannot tell you what to do, dear, but I can assure you that if you don't go back to him you will regret it for the rest of your life."

I really, really didn't get this old woman… she was rather rude, she was rambling, and damn it my first human encounter (not including Orihime), and it was going terrible.

…Still… she did have a point…

I looked up for any sign of the Garganta, sighing when I saw nothing there. Damn it… Standing, I looked around, my eyes locking onto a set of stairs. Stairs in a cemetery usually led to a shrine, and a shrine was set on flat ground. Flat ground was the best place for Szayel to find me.

"Are you going back to him, dearie?"

I looked down at the back of the woman's head, nodding, "I think I will… Thank you."

She nodded, smiling and saying nothing more.

Sighing, I turned and headed towards the stairs slowly, thinking. This was my chance… I could escape forever.

But I found I didn't want to… I _wanted_ to be with Szayel.

Unrequited love was something I could deal with. Easily. I mean, come on, I'd been dealing with it for months now, right?

But never seeing Szayel again? …No. That was something I couldn't do.

I _needed_ Szayel on more than just a physical level, even though the physical wasn't half bad. No, I need him on a level that was almost spiritual… And you'll have to forgive me for that terrible cliché comparison, but it's true.

The only thing that was keeping me sane right now was the hope that I'd see him again…

Sighing at my own pathetic-ness, I started to trudge up the stairway. I'd figure out how to contact Szayel when I got to the top…

When I reached the summit, I had to stop and breathe deeply and slowly, placing a hand on my ever swelling stomach. Damn it, the little thing was developing fast…

"Hello, huuuuuuman…"

I froze, tensing.

"Hehehehe…" The serpentine Hollow from before slithered around me, rising up to his full height of about seven feet and extending his cobra-like hood, "I told you your protection would fade… No Broken Onessss here to protect you…"

I backed up slowly, then turned to run, only to stop when the coils of the Hollow blocked my path.

"Leaving ssso sssooon?" He squeezed in, making me back up, "I don't think ssso."

I barely thought about what I did next; I pulled one of the Fornicaras syringes and popped the lid off, slamming the needle down into my arm and screaming when the needle skipped along the bone.

My screaming only got louder, tearing at my throat until it was raw, when I felt it start; the transformation.

I had been knocked out when Szayel had injected me with Fornicaras, but now I wish I hadn't been; had I known, I would have screamed at and kicked Szayel's ass until he had made this transformation less painful.

Whatever was running through my veins was either extremely hot or extremely cold; I couldn't tell the difference. Still, it scalded me from the inside out, from my head to my toes, and though it seemed impossible it worsened and I felt _things_ start to grow from and expand around my body.

I blacked out for a second, and when I came to again the pain was gone and all that was left was a pleasure so intense I nearly had an orgasm.

Dear god, no wonder Szayel moans like a stuck whore when he's transforming…

It took me a moment to realize that I, just like Szayel always did, was moaning, and even when I did realize it I couldn't stop. It made me that damned hot…

When it finally tapered off I could barely stand, my legs felt like water.

Still… I was in the presence of a Hollow that wanted to kill me. Like hell I was about to fall to the ground in writhing moans. That could be saved for later; right now I needed to kick Hollow ass.

And I would. Aaaaaaaaas soon as I figured out how to use these damned wings.

"A huuuman… impersssonating a Broken One?"

"Not just 'impersssonating'," I hissed back, glaring, "Ssssucceeding." Yeah, Aporro is real fuckin' stupid for baiting a Hollow, she knows. She knows. Don't even say it.

"You impudent wench!" The Hollow hissed, lunging.

Aww, fuck! I have no goddamned idea how to do this shit! Lowering my head and crossing my arms over my stomach, I clamped my eyes shut and waited…

For nothing.

Nothing happened.

At all.

Blinking my eyes open, I looked up, tilting my head when I saw my wings seemed to have gain their own life and had leapt forward, wrapping themselves around the Hollow and trapping him in the hanging appendages, which had swelled eight times their normal size.

I vaguely felt them squirm and writhe for a moment, and then they jostled and spat the Hollow out, shooting him straight at the shrine. I winced when the shrine was crushed, the Hollow landing in a coiled mass on the ruins.

"Oops…" Then the appendage closest to me started to swell, and remembering when Szayel had showed me how these things worked I reached out as it burst, catching the little doll of the Hollow as it fell out.

"You little…" The Hollow started, raising up and lunging, "BITCH!!"

Inhaling sharply, I held the doll out at arms length and smacked it, watching as the Hollow jerked to the side and slammed into the ground, sliding several feet before it lost momentum.

…Holy shit, that was exhilarating! Just one smack and I had sent the slithering bitch flying!! Still, when he slithered up, I swallowed and pulled the doll in half, fishing around the internal organs and parts for something, _anything_, that would be an instant kill.

There was one problem, though…

ALL OF THE DAMNED PARTS WERE LABELED IN SPANISH!! I DON'T KNOW SPANISH, SZAYEL!!

And I didn't recognize several of the damned parts in here… we'd only gone over basic humanoid anatomy. Never reptile.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

I pulled out a random part, blinking at the name on it. '_Temporomandibulares_'. See?! I have no idea what that is!! Though part of it does sound familiar…

I didn't really have time to think further when the snake approached; I snapped the piece in my hand into pieces. Then I watched in morbid fascination as something in the Hollow's head crackled loudly, his lower jaw going lax and a long scream tearing from his throat as his head snapped back and forth, the now useless appendage swinging.

Oh my god, I'm gonna be sick… watching this was just grotesque…

I pulled out another part and snapped it without looking at the name, my heart twisting painfully when a shudder ran along its body and it fell to the ground, writhing and wailing as all of the muscles on the right side went lax.

"Damn it, damn it!" I was sobbing by now, the small pieces in the doll soaked with tears as I rifled through them, trying to find an organ I recognized. "Damn it!" I'm all talk, you know… I hate seeing creatures suffer…

"Aporro, what have I told you about the dolls?" I stopped, slumping when a familiar gloved hand reached into the doll and pulled out a small, circular organ labeled 'Corazon', squeezing it so it shattered. "If you don't have the heart for it, stick with the carbon copies…"

Clamping my eyes shut when the Hollow shuddered and went completely lax, disintegrating and disappearing, I turned and flung myself into Szayel's arms and wailed.

Szayel sighed heavily, "Compose yourself, Aporro, and let's head back through the Garganta…"

Still shaking, I clamped down on his arm and followed.

Before we even went through the gaping black maw, though, things took a dramatic turn downhill…

There was a sharp stab in my stomach, followed by an intense twisting pain.

Screaming, I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around my stomach, "Szayel!! The baby!!"


	29. XXIX Deny

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Aporro, you really need calm down. I assure you, this is completely normal."

Only Szayel Aporro Grantz can say this with a perfectly straight face while wearing not only rubber gloves that go up to his shoulders, but almost two pints of blood that stain him in a straight streak from the chest down and fleck him everywhere else.

"Okay, Szayel, I have never been pregnant before, nor have I ever seen someone during a doctor's appointment for pregnancy, BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT BLEEDING HEAVILY LIKE THIS IS NORMAL AT ANY LEVEL!!"

Szayel sighed calmly, "For a human pregnancy, perhaps not. For an Arrancar pregnancy, it is. Unfortunately, it is a mixed pregnancy, and because Arrancar is part of the equation I am willing to say with some level of certainty that this is normal."

"…And I suppose the fact that I'm also twice as large as before is also normal?"

"Quite." Szayel nodded, "Arrancar offspring are unique in that they have three significant growth spurts while developing in the womb."

"…And would it have _killed_ you to tell me this _before_ one of these damned growth spurts?!"

Szayel narrowed his eyes, "Had you not ran, I would have been able to."

I winced, looking away. Okay… I deserved that…

We were both silent as he started to move around the room, cleaning up and pulling off his thoroughly bloodied gloves and scrubs.

"What were you thinking? Running off… Did I do something to anger you? Have I done _anything_ to you recently that led to you running away?" As he said this, Szayel gradually got louder and louder, movements becoming jerky as he cleaned. "Tell me what I did wrong, Aporro. Tell me so I can learn from it and not do it again!" He was angry…

By this point I was sitting up, legs pulled as close to my chest as I could get them, my head lowered as I studied the bloodstains on my medical gown as closely as possible. It was hard, though, with my eyes watering and tears pouring down my face…

"I was scared…" When I heard Szayel jerk to a stop, his clothes rustling, I clamped my eyes shut and went on, "I was scared, damn it… I'm scared of having a baby… I feel so alone, Szayel…"

There was silence, followed by shuffling and muttered curses and then a presence settled by me. I reached out and wrapped my arms around his waist, sobbing.

Szayel tensed slightly, made a few jerky movements, then set a hand on my back.

"Szayel… I don't want to die…"

"You won't." He said immediately. Firmly. "You won't die before your time, Aporro. This pregnancy won't be the end of you." He sounded so convinced…

"…Do you promise…?" It was stupid of me to ask, I know. Szayel didn't make pro—

"I do, Aporro. I promise this won't kill you."

…Holy shit…

"Say it again…"

Szayel paused. "This won't kill you?"

"No… the other thing…"

"…I promise…"

I turned and lunged, pinning him back down against the table. "Say it again."

Szayel rolled his eyes, smirking, "I promise."

I leaned down, "One more time…"

"…I pro—"

I cut him off, kissing him.

* * *

"It's been… what, a week?" I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Szayel, we need to accept it… Las Noches is theirs. Lord Aizen lost."

"Without even acknowledging that…" Szayel muttered, clasping his hands in front of his face and leaning his forehead against them, "The shinigami will be searching the surrounding area soon enough… They will sense our presence, and we will be sought out. We have to get as far away from Las Noches as quickly as possible…"

"…Where to, then?"

Szayel paused, then leaned back and typed something in on the keyboard, the monitor in front of him flickering to life. A topographic map appeared on the screen, Las Noches sitting dead center with several lights flickering around it.

"Those dots represent the twenty-eight emergency labs located around Las Noches… Well-hidden labs." We stared at the map for a moment, then Szayel glanced at me. "What do you notice about this map?"

"…Uhhhh…" I stared at it, blinking. "Err…"

Szayel stared at me flatly, "There are only twenty-seven visible dots on this zoomed in screen."

"Oh…" I rubbed the back of my head, sheepish, "Well, where's the twenty-eighth?"

A few clicks as keys were pressed, and then the screen was zooming out. Las Noches got smaller and smaller, and when it was the size of a silver dollar I saw it. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to the west of Las Noches, in the middle of a deep depression was a lone dot.

"That was the last of the hidden laboratories…" Szayel began, typing a few more things in and making the focus shift to the far-off dot. "And it took the longest to construct. It is roughly the same size as my main laboratory in Las Noches was, and it holds the data of all of my experiments, dating back to when I first became an Arrancar. Completely equipped and fully capable of existing on its own, without support from Las Noches…" He leaned back, sighing, "I suppose you could say it is my safe house…"

I glanced at him, frowning, "And here you got all on my case when _I'd_ suggested we flee…"

"That was when I still had doubts that we had lost." Szayel sighed again, "Now there is no doubt… No." He turned, looking me up and down, "The question now is should we risk being found and wait for you to deliver, or head out now and risk the infant coming while we are traveling…"

I shrugged, "Whatever you decide, Szayel. I'll follow you." I'm not good at making decisions. You make them for me. Theeeere's a good Szayel.

"…We'll head out immediately." Szayel sighed, standing. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there." He then paused, frowning, "Then again… Carting a pregnant female through a desert infested with Hollows and shinigami, with only myself and a few incompetent Fraccion for protection…" He sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

"…Szayel, just how short are you expecting this pregnancy to be?"

He glanced at me, "How much weight have you gained in the last three days?"

"…" I shrugged, "Nine or ten pounds."

"One week, three or so days."

He sounded so sure I had to stop and blink.

Seeing my hesitance, Szayel sighed, "All infants born of humanoid parents of average size generally cause the same amount of weight gain in the mother; that is from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds, on average. If you've gained ten pounds in three days, that's roughly three point three pounds per day. Factoring in roughly thirty pounds pregnancy weight gain, that's about nine days before delivery."

I stared at him, suddenly cold, "So… In about a week or so… I'll…"

"Be delivering? Yes."

Damn Szayel and his bluntness.

I passed out.

* * *

"You really need to quit passing out like that…"

I growled, reaching out and jabbing Szayel in the gut, "Then you really need to work on your bedside manner."

Szayel grunted and shifted, then sighed, making my head rise and fall, "We'll leave as soon as possible… So, as soon as you can walk."

"Szayel…" I started, shifting, "I don't want the baby to be born in the desert…"

"Neither do I. I also don't want the child to be born before that; traveling with an infant through such harsh conditions isn't a good idea."

I saw his point and agreed, but still…

"…How long will it take us to get to the lab?"

"…Seven to eight days."

Fuck.

"That's cutting it close, Szayel."

"I am aware of that, Aporro. Which is why we need to leave as soon as possible. Tell me when you're fee—"

"I'm better." I sat up, glancing down at him, "Let's get out of here before it comes."

We were packed and ready to go in ten minutes thanks to Szayel's almost obsessive-compulsive cleaning problems… And it helped that all we had to pack were a few pairs of clothes, files that Szayel hadn't committed to permanent computer memory, and two weeks worth of food packets…

"Why two?" I blinked, tilting my head as he loaded Ceillia and Amien's backpacks.

Szayel glanced at me, quirking a brow, "You have to ask? You're pregnant. You'll be eating for two and you'll be absolutely ravenous."

…I wasn't sure whether to thank him for being thoughtful or smacking the shit out of him for making it seem like I was a pig.

"Alright." Szayel nodded to his Fraccion, "Both of you set off. You know the coordinates; make sure everything is ready when we get there."

I blinked, watching as Amiens and Ceillia took off, one of the backpacks with them. "They're going ahead?"

Szayel nodded, picking up the other pack, "They are. We have to stay behind to initiate the destruct sequence of the remaining hidden laboratories…" He smirked slightly, "Something to send the shinigami reeling…"

I blinked, then smirked slightly, "So, you do have a fucked up joker side…"

He rolled his eyes in response, then wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me up, jumping backwards.

Yelping, I clamped my eyes shut and kept them shut as the tug and pull of sonido vertigo slammed me in the gut. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the vertigo was gone, and my feet slid back slightly in the sand as we came to a halt. Fuuuuuuck, I hate sonido…

"Look up or you'll miss it…" Szayel muttered, and I caught his smirk out of the corner of my eye.

I looked up just in time to watch the lab go up in flames and sand, several loud explosions echoing all across Hueco Mundo.

"I set them to go off in a random." Szayel said above the echoing roar, picking me up and turning to sonido off towards our destination. "Not even that Kurotsuchi will be able to determine the origin to trace it to that lab."

Clamping my eyes shut again, I hissed through gritted teeth, "That's nice. We aren't gonna use sonido to get all the fuckin' way out there, are we?"

"Quit swearing." Szayel muttered, though more out of habit than as an actual order, "And no. We'll only be doing this until I'm confident that we are beyond the point of them being able to locate us."

I moaned, clamping my eyes shut and clenching my stomach. The baby did _not_ appreciate vertigo…

"Here we go." Szayel stopped abruptly, setting me down on my feet and then starting to walk.

I swayed, then fell to my knees.

"…" Szayel sighed heavily, "Aporro…"

When he was kneeling in front of me, reaching out, I looked up and punched him in the throat, "Next time, offer the mother of your child some support after using nausea-inducing sonido, jackass." I then stood and stormed off in the direction he had been headed.

"You know," Szayel hissed, storming after me a moment later, "You'll only be getting away with pulling stunts like that until _after_ the delivery. I realize that you're a hormonal mess, but sometimes…" He trailed off, grumbling.

I scoffed, then slowed down a bit and waited until he was walking beside me before falling in step with him, "…You know what I hate about this more than the weight gain and the hormones?"

Szayel glanced at me, "The fact that your heightened sense of smell makes the 'grotesque' food I make taste even more disgusting?"

I glared at him, "Have you been reading my journal?"

"You need to lean not to title things 'Szayel, Keep Out' if you don't want me to read them. Besides, it's my RAM."

I glared at him harder, twitching, then sighed and looked ahead, "No, it's not that… It's the fact that my breasts are getting massive."

Szayel blinked. "…Beg pardon?"

"My boobs are huge!!" I looked down at my chest, grabbing my breasts and wincing, "And sore! Dear god, they're gargantuan!! I _have_ to be at least a D by now!"

"Double D, bordering on triple…"

I paused, staring at the back of Szayel's head as he kept walking. "…Have you been staring at my chest when I wasn't looking?!"

He simply crossed his arms behind his back and kept walking, "What ever gives you that idea?"

"You have!" I ran after him, unable to hold back a grin, "You pervert."

Szayel scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Oh, now I'm the pervert, am I? Says the one who hunted me down, seduced me, and then had me stripped and in bed in under seventy seconds."

I quirked a brow, smirking, "Oh, what, so we're keeping time now? And, come on, you know you liked me riding you cowgirl style…"

He sighed heavily in response, pressing his hand to his forehead, "I really do wish I didn't know what that meant, but when you use it in that context I can't help but know…" He glanced at me, frowning, "You humans actually _name_ the positions in which you pose for intercourse?"

"Oh, yeaaaaaah." I nodded, looking up at the moon and thinking, "There's all sorts of names for them, and some of them even have about four or five synonyms. Lesse, there's missionary, do—"

"As thrilling as all of that sounds," Szayel cut me off, speaking loudly and looking away, "I really don't care to hear about it, let alone _talk_ about it…"

"Fine." I shrugged, glancing at him and smirking, "Then I'll just have to _show_ you later, won't I?"

Szayel twitched slightly, still looking away and muttering, "How did we get on this topic…" Of course, even with him looking away I could still see the pink tinge on his cheekbones…

I snickered, then looked back at the moon. Then, a thought struck me… "You know… we're bonding right now… I mean, we're actually _bonding_…" When he didn't answer or even acknowledge me, I glanced over at him, shifting a bit away when I did.

Szayel was staring at me oddly, the blush gone and his face a mix of genuine shock, curiosity, and something I couldn't quite pin. "Bonding, Aporro?"

"Well… Yeah." I shrugged, "We're talking, we aren't arguing, we're both enjoying each other's company to some extent, and we're both learning a bit about one another… And even if the topic is a bit… unorthodox, that is what bonding encompasses…"

"Hmm…" Szayel blinked, "Aporro, what do you feel for me?"

…Just where in the hell had _that_ come from?!

I paused, then shrugged, "You know how I feel. You're hot and I like being close to you."

"Don't make me ask again, Aporro…"

Okay, so here's the conclusion I have reached during my time in Las Noches; telling an Arrancar you love them is the stupidest mistake you can make. They're dangerous, they have little experience dealing with 'lovey-dovey' emotions, and if one as typically honest as Szayel says they don't feel love, then chances are very high they don't.

And as much as I love Szayel, why bother setting myself up for that kind of disappointment? I already knew he didn't love me, so I didn't need to hear it.

"Why would you need to ask again? I told; you're hot and I like your body. It's not like I love you or anything…"

Szayel just stared at me for a moment, then looked ahead and kept walking.

I walked behind him slightly, something in my chest twisting tight… tighter… tighter…


	30. XXX Vicenta Acere

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

By the time we got to the laboratory, it was close… it was so close…

The baby was so close to being there even Szayel was getting edgy.

"Damn it!" I cursed, glaring down at my huuuuuuuuuge stomach.

"Something wrong, Aporro?" Szayel glanced back, pausing.

"Yeah…" I winced slightly, rubbing my stomach, "Baby's just kicking like crazy…" The little brat had been since the last growth spurt… Not that it hurt, but it was getting kind of annoying…

Szayel blinked, "…Kicking?" He looked down at my stomach, as if expecting to see a little foot impression through the shirt.

I rolled my eyes, then grabbed his hand and jerked it so it was laying palm down on my stomach, right around where the baby had been kicking. I watched him closely as he stared down at my stomach, smirking when he balked slightly as the baby kicked his hand.

"For all your work in the lab, it's still pretty amazing when you experience it firsthand, isn't it?"

Szayel smirked slightly, "It always is…"

I blinked, unable to hold back a slightly smile at the look in his eyes, then grimaced. "Oh, fuck…"

Szayel caught me as the third wave of twisting, wrenching pain this week hit, cursing and sonidoing the rest of the way to the complex.

"D-Damn it!" I hissed, clamping my eyes shut and curling in on myself, "What have I fuckin' told you abou—"

"No time for arguing now, Aporro." Szayel muttered. "The infant is—"

I screamed as the pain suddenly doubled. And either I peed myself, or…

Aw, fuck. The baby was here…

* * *

I don't give a shit how fucking magical everyone else says the birthing process is _supposed_ to be. It ain't.

"I BLAME YOU FOR THIS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"

"Verona, please prepare a high dosage of concentrated fentanyl for a spinal block."

I _hate_ how fucking calm he can be at times like this.

"Amiens, I need a number twelve blade in a number four handle."

I mean, honestly!! I'm screaming my fucking lungs out over here, and he's just twiddling his fucking thumbs and going on about blades and handles!!

"Aporro, you're going to feel a slight pinch…"

"FUCK!! YOU!!"

Like I was about to feel shit passed all of this fucking pain!! Fuck this!! I am never having another fucking baby EVER AGAIN!!

"There we go… And now, Aporro, you're going to feel very sleepy."

That son of a—!! …Whoa… I did feel sleepy… and, hey, the pain is gone…

"Sza… yel…"

"Just keep calm." He said slowly, erecting a small, medical paper wall over my chest, shielding my view of my stomach. "We'll do this as quickly as possible. Relax, Aporro." He then snapped, "Ceillia, talk to her. Keep her occupied and awake."

"Err…" Ceillia stood by my head, shifting back and forth. Szayel _really_ didn't train them for conversations. "Master Aporro, did you know the Argentine Lake duck has a penis as long as its body?"

I stared at her blearily, "And what the fuck made you think I wanted to know that…?"

"Err… Elephant penises can grow up to six feet long…"

"Why are we talking about animal penises?!"

"Ceillia, go away." Szayel hissed, "Verona, talk to Aporro."

"Yes, Master…"

I looked at her as she shuffled over to me, looking down.

"Verona… Sweety, 'm sorry for what I did to Lumina… and right in front of you…"

She shook her head, "You don't need to apologize, Master Aporro… you are master. You do whatever you want…"

"'s still not righ'…" Dear god, I had to close my eyes…

"Don't go to sleep, Aporro." Szayel muttered, "It's almost over…"

* * *

Szayel took the infant into his arms after the procedure had been finished and Aporro had been sewed and cleaned.

He looked down at the child, feeling strangely lightheaded…

"Ha…" He looked up, blinking when he saw Aporro looking at him and smirking. "She's got my hair… I win…"

He sighed. It was, indeed, true that the child had dark hair… though it wasn't dark brown, like her mother's had been before the Doppelganger Pill. No, it was black. Still, it had undoubtedly come from her genes… though he failed to see how it constituted as 'winning'.

Other than the hair and gender, the infant held none of her mother's other original physical traits. She was pale, had amber eyes, and was unusually silent, staring up at Szayel with a blank face. Her mask took the form of a pair of goggles pushed back on top of her head.

"What is your name?" Szayel muttered.

"…You actually expect a baby to be able to—"

"Vicenta Acere Grantz…"

"…Holy shit."

Szayel rolled his eyes, glaring at Aporro softly, "All Arrancar instinctually know their name at birth."

"…" Aporro blinked groggily, "So… we can so cross that off as those being her first words? Because those're some sad first words…"

Szayel sighed heavily, "Aporro, go to sleep. You need to rest… The mask did severe damage to your uterus and you've lost quite a bit of blood."

"Giv'er 'ta me…"

Sighing again but nodding, Szayel stepped up to the bedside and gently eased the baby into Aporro's waiting arms.

"…Mama…" Vicenta mumbled, staring at Aporro blankly.

Aporro grinned, pointing to Szayel again and snickering, "Haha! Now I _really_ win!"

Szayel rolled his eyes, turning away and pinching the bridge of his nose to hide the fact that he was fighting the urge to smirk. Honestly, she could be so childish… He thought, then twitched.

The child would be extremely impressionable… He turned back, blinking when he saw Vicenta staring at Aporro with enwrapped attention while Aporro cooed over her and continued mocking Szayel.

Yes… very impressionable…

He would have to make sure she didn't get the _wrong_ impression. Even if the child had been… well, frankly, _unplanned_, the fact still remained that that was half of his genetic code in her DNA double helix. And that presented many opportunities for not only experimentation, but the very future of his work…

And that could well be jeopardized if the child picked up some of Aporro's… less than admirable qualities.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Szayel went to grab the baby, but stopped.

She and Aporro were already asleep, Aporro turned on her side and, despite Szayel's instructions to sleep straight, with her legs pulled up as she curled around the baby.

Szayel stared at them for a moment, then sighed, smiling faintly. No, he could worry about just how impressionable the child was tomorrow…

* * *

"Shit."

I stared down at Vicenta, eyes wide.

Szayel stared down at Vicenta, twitching.

"Fuck."

Eyes wide.

Twitch.

"Damn it."

Eyes wide.

Twitch.

"Coc—"

"Okay!" I covered my daughter's mouth with a hand, biting my lip to hold back a giggle and laugh, "That's enough out of you!"

"This is exactly what I was talking about, Aporro." Szayel hissed, throwing me a glare. "She is far too impressionable for you to constantly be swearing around her!"

I rolled my eyes, picking Vicenta up and turning to Szayel, throwing him a flat look, "How the hell was I supposed to know the Arrancar in her would make her learn to speak quicker?"

"Hell."

Szayel twitched, "Aporro…"

"Hey, it's not like it's my fault her attention is geared towards swear words! Maybe, if you didn't make such a big deal out of them, she wouldn't repeat them, jackass!"

"Jackass."

Szayel slapped his forehead.

I bit the corner of my bottom lip, hard, to hold back a laugh.

Two days. Two days was all it had taken for Vicenta to learn twenty-two words, not including the three that made up her name. And almost all of them were swear words. I know I shouldn't encourage it, but it makes me feel pretty damned good when she calls me 'Mama' and calls Szayel 'Douchebag'. Even if I really don't ever remember calling Szayel a douche…

"Mama, Douchebag pissed…"

Isn't it amazing? With only three words, two thirds of them curses, she's already forming complete sentences…

"Awww, Centa!" I nuzzled her, smiling, "Your first sentence!"

Vicenta, who, like her father, wasn't too fond of intimate contact, twitched.

"Aporro…" Szayel growled.

"Oh, alright, alright." I rolled my eyes, then looked down at Vicenta and shook my finger, "Now, now, Centa, you can't keep calling him 'Douchebag'. His name is Szayel and he's your daddy."

Her eyes widened, "No shit?!"

I nearly fell over. Two days, and she had just figured out Szayel was her father…

"And no more words like 'shit' and 'fuck', okay? They're bad words and Mama is going to hell for saying them."

Vicenta blinked, then nodded. "Mama… Daddy… look… same…" She frowned, a bit annoyed by her inability to speak properly.

I snorted, rolling my eyes, "You can thank Daddy for that one…"

She blinked, again, then opened her mouth and started crying. It wailing, but crying quietly. She'd run out of words to express her needs…

"Bottle." I held out my hand, positioning the nipple of the bottle Szayel handed me near her mouth and leaning back when she started eating. Thank god Szayel had developed something better than breast milk for her to drink… I don't think I could have handled breastfeeding. "How long do I have to stay in bed?"

"Until I have determined that you are better."

I groaned. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuck."

"Fu—"

"What did I say about swearing?"

"…Curses."

I snickered and Szayel smacked his forehead.

* * *

Several hours later I was woken from my nap when I felt someone pulling Vicenta from my arms. I jerked, snapping my eyes open, then calmed down when I saw it was Szayel.

"Easy, Aporro." He muttered, picking the baby up gently and carrying her over to her crib, setting her down gently. He then stood there for a moment, just staring down at her…

"You know… you never really struck me as the 'fatherly' type…"

Szayel twitched, glancing back over at me, "I assure you, I'm not."

I grinned, rolling my eyes and nestling down. "Yeah. Right."

"Yes. Very right." Szayel muttered, turning to walk out.

"Hey, get back here."

Szayel froze in the doorway, then turned slowly and walked back, "Do you need som—"

I grabbed his arm and jerked him over, pulling him onto the bed. "Yeah. I need you." I nestled down, laying my head on his chest.

Szayel grunted and shifted for a few moments, then lay still, silent.

"…Hey, Szayel…"

"Hmm?"

"Guess what?"

"…"

"You're a daddy."

Szayel twitched, then went lax.

I looked up at him, then smirked. Pinky had passed out. Pussy.


	31. XXXI Confession

Sorry it's so late, but something happened today... See, Rayna works at a veterinary clinic, and while she usually does the kennels every now and then they need her help in the lab. Well, today they needed Rayna out in the large animal area to keen an eye on this foal who wasn't doing so well... Long story short, after about five hours of Rayna trying to keep him alive, the foal died in my arms. That's why this is late, and why it probably sucks. Sorry.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"VICENTA ACERE GRANTZ!!"

I looked up from my book, blinking lazily as Vicenta sonidoed into the room, looking at me.

"If Douchbag asks, I was with you." She then flopped down onto a beanbag and picked up a book, opening it and reading.

I shrugged, "You got it." I turned back to my book.

Not four seconds later Szayel appeared in the doorway, hair mussed from his rushing and eyes narrowed dangerously. He glared at our daughter, "Vicenta Acere, what have I told you about hacking my files?"

"Not to do it." She answered easily, turning the page.

"Then why did you?"

"I didn't."

"Yes, Vicenta, you did."

"No I didn't." She said with a perfectly serious tone, looking up and blinking at Szayel, "I couldn't have. I've been in here with Mom." Vicenta glanced at me, "Right?"

I looked up, nodding to Szayel, "Yep. We've been in here all morning."

Szayel glared between us, twitching, "I know it was you, Vicenta. You left your trademark Easter egg of Kohaku playing with a ball of pink yarn as the screensaver…"

"Well, if you know it, who's to say that one of the Fraccion didn't do it?"

"Because the Fraccion wouldn't redesign my font so the 'I's are dotted with little hearts."

"Pfft." I rolled my eyes, throwing him a flat glare, "Okay, so even if she did do it, you're honestly going to get mad at her for just doing that?"

"No, Aporro, that's not all she did." Szayel glared back, "That is just another one of her trademark Easter eggs. No, she switched the language to German and loaded a virus that has hidden all of my files that involve the word 'pistachio'."

I quirked a brow, "Why would any of your files involve the word 'pistachio'?"

"That is not the point, Aporro!"

"'Pistachio' is his safety word." Vicenta muttered, "One of many… He also uses 'Aporro', 'Kohaku', 'Nnoitra', 'Illforte', and 'Maraschino'. 'Pistachio', though, is the one he uses for his biological experiments."

I glanced at her, smirking slightly. Just a few months and she knew Szayel's systems like the back of her hand… A scientist at heart, like her father, but her true focus was in technology. And while Szayel was good at computers… well… Vicenta was going to be way, waaaay better.

And what better way to practice than hack into and fuck around with her father's files? Actually, it was pretty damned funny, I thought.

Szayel glared at Vicenta, twitching, "I know it was you, young lady."

"And I say it wasn't." I turned back to my book. "So just go and fix it… And Vicenta," I threw her a look, "Since you're so good at computers, why don't you help your father?"

She balked, indignant, "But—"

"Centa…" I growled, staring at her flatly. She knew the look; the I'll-rat-you-out-if-you-don't-do-what-I-say look.

Vicenta huffed, then sighed and set her book aside, standing and walking after Szayel sullenly as he turned on his heel and stormed back to the lab.

I rolled my eyes after them, turning back to my book. Neither of them would ever admit it, but they loved each other…

"Master Aporro!" I looked up as Lumina and Verona bounded in, "It's almost time for Master Vicenta Acere's lesson!"

"Aaahh, right." I nodded, standing and walking after them.

Vicenta had been training in swords and reiatsu since she was able to walk, and when she managed to suppress her extra energy into the form of a zanpakuto Szayel would only allow either me or him to train her. And, considering Szayel would always try to push her too far and she would let him, I ended up doing a lot of the sparring with her.

Not that I minded; gave me a reason stay in good form so I could kick Szayel's ass when he pissed me off. Which really wasn't as often as it used to be… I think giving birth to Vicenta mellowed my hormones.

In the training room, I pulled my practice blade from the wall and glanced at the Fraccion who had taken to following me when Szayel didn't have them at his side. "Could one of you call Vicenta for me?"

"Already here, Mom." I turned, smiling when I saw Vicenta standing behind me with her zanpakuto, drawing the blade slightly. "Ready?"

"Warm-ups first, hon." I shook my head, nodding to the course that ran around the room, "You know the drills."

Vicenta groaned, then handed me her zanpakuto and took off, doing some quick stretches before jogging. I watched her for a moment, then set both of the blades aside and started stretching.

"You sure you're up to this, Mom?" Vicenta asked when we had finished, smirking as she strapped the sword to her side and drew the bade, "You're not as young as you used to be, you know…"

I rolled my eyes, drawing my own blade, "Vicenta, you're only five months old!"

"But I've got the body of a fifteen-year-old." She snickered, "And you're still recovering from my delivery, you know… No one would blame you for backing down."

"You little punk…" I smirked, crouching, "Get your ass over here so I can teach you a lesson."

Vicenta grinned, standing straight and holding out her sword, "Let's go."

* * *

"Master Aporro!" Lumina cried, running in, "Master Vicenta Acere!"

"People at the door!" Verona ran in after, waving towards the front of the complex, "Espada! Other Arrancar!"

I blinked, shocked, then glanced at Vicenta, "Go get your dad." I nodded to the Fraccion, "You two come with me." With them close behind, I ran to the front door of the complex, checking the monitor by the door.

Yyyyep. Three Espada and a few Arrancar.

"You in there, Grantz?!" The Sexta, Grimmjow, was shouting, glaring around at the sand where the underground lab was. "This is where your Fraccion said you would be!" And he was telling the truth… among the refugees, I did recognize a few of Szayel's Fraccion…

"M-Master Aporro!" Lumina shouted as I typed in the password on the keypad. "What are you doing?!"

"Letting them in." I glanced at him, "Or would it be better if we left them outside for any shinigami with a lick of reiatsu to track down?"

The two Fraccion winced, both backing away and letting me open the door.

"Finally!" Grimmjow groaned, marching in with the others following in tow, "What the hell took you, Gran—" He blinked, looking at me, "You're not Grantz… you're his look-alike bitch."

"Doppelganger." Stark corrected lazily. "Aporro, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, yeah…" I mumbled, looking passed them, "Everyone in? Good." I then closed the doors, turning the security back on.

"Aporro, wha—" I turned, sighing when I saw Szayel looking over the crowd in mixed shock and horror. He then glared at me, "Aporro, what in the hell is going on here?!"

I shrugged, "We have company."

"Mom, who is—" Vicenta popped out from behind him, her eyes widening slightly, "Whoa…"

Grimmjow grinned, "Aww, Szayel, did you and your human bitch have a little half-breed cub?"

"Grimmjow." Halibel shot him a look, "Be quiet."

"Hey, fuck off, Tits!"

"Shut up, Jaegerjaquez!" The green-haired girl that followed Stark snapped.

"Fuck you, Lilinette!"

"All of you, out! Immediately!"

This summoned a general uproar that made me back away and close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. Damn it, Arrancar are loud arguers…

"Mom…" Vicenta shuffled up by me, "What's going on?"

"A whole lotta shit." I mumbled, letting them fight a few more minutes before screaming, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

The uproar died.

"Good." I nodded, "Now, let's get a few things out of the way, here, alright? Szayel, lighten the fuck up. They're staying." He glared, but said nothing, "Next, if you're all going to be staying, let's lay out a few rules, alright? We're going to be under wartime guard for a while, so that means no one goes out. If you don't want to deal with our rules here, then get the fuck out now and don't come back."

No one made any moves to leave.

"Good." I nodded again, "Now, when I say wartime guard, I mean there's a shitload of shinigami who are going to be coming in and out of Hueco Mundo for a while looking for survivors, right? So, we're all going to have to stay underground for a few months. Possibly years. At this point, we're all going to need to depend on one another to _not_ fuck up and get us found out."

"Hey, why the fuck should we follow your rules? You're not even an Arrancar!" Grimmjow snapped, glaring at me.

I glared back, "You got a better idea, fucknut?"

"Yeah. We get our asses out there and take Las Noches back!"

There was silence.

"…And _that_, ladies and gentlemen, is why the word of Grimmjow will _not_ be the one we follow." I rolled my eyes, "Are you fucking nuts?! If the combined power of the ten Espada and the three leading shiniami weren't enough to take the Seireitei, what the fuck makes you think a few stragglers would be able to?!"

Grimmjow snarled, "I'm still the Sexta, you know…"

"And let's nip _that_ in the bud, while we're at it." I glared at him, "Numbers. Don't. Mean. Shit."

"…What?"

"Think about it. The Primera never gave a fuck about his rank, anyway, for one…"

Stark shrugged, "True…"

"The Trecera wasn't all that into senseless fighting…"

Halibel said nothing to protest.

"The Sexta…" I glared at him, "I don't trust you to not do something stupid, and neither does everyone else here."

Grimmjow growled but no one spoke up to support him.

"And the Octava can really only boss his Fraccion around."

Szayel sighed.

"Las Noches had is ass handed to it." I shrugged, "We lost. Let's just fuck Aizen's system and just agree to live as peaceably amongst ourselves as we can. Not like you all have anywhere else to go, anyway. And who all here _actually_ like it when Aizen ran things?" When no one spoke up, I nodded, "So, we're all in agreement, then? Good. Lumina, Verona, help get everyone settled in."

"Aporro…" Szayel hissed as everyone began moving around, storming up and standing beside me tensely, "What are you doing?!"

I turned to him, shrugging, "Making sure none of them do anything stupid and get us found, that's what. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right? Same basic concept…"

Szayel sighed, still not completely appeased. He then looked around, "Where is Vicenta?"

I shrugged, walking towards him, "I saw her follow the other Arrancar when Lumina and Verona led them off to settle them into rooms."

"Damn." Szayel swore, turning to follow.

"Oh, let her be." I wrapped my arms around his waist before he could move, "She's probably just curious about her own kind… You're not exactly forthcoming on some subjects, you know. And sometimes it's just awkward to ask your parents."

"Still…" Szayel started, then twitched and inhaled, freezing when my hand strayed low.

"Still nothing, Szay…" I mumbled, nuzzling his neck and rubbing his groin. "Besides… if she's off playing with the others, we get some alone time… Been a while since we had that, huh?"

Szayel let his head fall back, groaning, "Contraceptive pill… in the lab…"

I smirked, "So, you've been wanting back inside me, have you? Good to know…" I pressed close, running my tongue up the side of his neck, "Because I've wanted you to fill me up again…"

Szayel groaned again, grabbing me, "Lab… pill… bed… now." He took off, dragging me behind.

I smirked. Horny narcissistic bastard.

* * *

"Ah… aaaa… unnnn…"

I smirked as Szayel writhed underneath my hand, which was moving up and down his cock slowly. Only the fact that I was sitting on his upper legs and he was pressing his shoulders down hard on the bed as he arched kept him still; I had a feeling if I wasn't sitting on him he would have fallen off the bed by now.

"Shit, Aporro…" Szayel gasped, his hands fisting the sheets by his hips, "Just _ride_ me already…"

"Nah-ah…" I chastised lightly, reaching out and tapping his taut stomach, "It's been a while, right? I want to drag this out as long as possible…"

He groaned, the muscles in his stomach and thighs twitching, "Damn you, woman…"

"Hey…" I muttered, leaning forward so his hard, throbbing length was caught between my stomach and his, my chest pressing down on his as I whispered into his ear, "Didn't I promise you I would be showing you all sorts of _poses_?"

Szayel hissed, glaring, "They had better involve me being in you or I'm taking over…"

I rolled my eyes, then sighed, "You may be right… we haven't done this in a while. Games can be saved for later." Then I sat up and rolled onto him, and he was in me so quickly he lurched, not expecting it.

"Aaaaa…"

"You gonna move?" I gasped, leaning forward and meeting his eyes, "Or not?"

Szayel bucked up.

* * *

"Ah… ah… ah… aaaa!"

"I-I-I-Szayel!!" I threw my head back, a moaned scream tearing from my throat as the end came bursting up, shooting through my gut and making my vision flash white. Shaking in the afterglow, I fell forward and collapsed on his chest, panting, "I love you…"

Beneath me, Szayel froze.

I froze right after him. "…Fuck…"


	32. XXXII Compromise

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

The first thing Vicenta noticed the next day was the fact that her parents were arguing. And not the typical Szayel-blowing-Aporro-off and Aporro-cursing-at-Szayel arguing, but actual holy-shit-their-relationship-just-took-a-bad-turn arguing. When they play argued, they fought loudly. Now, though… they were completely silent.

The Arrancar had all gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast and, instead of sitting next to one another like they usually did, Szayel sat at the head of the table while Aporro sat at the other end, hiding behind the massive sleeping bulk that was Stark.

Vicenta looked between her parents, shifting back and forth, then went and sat down at the other end of the table, next to her mother.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Fine!"

Vicenta quirked a brow. Not only did her mom answer too quickly, her voice was all high and pitchy and she was jumpy.

"Who shoved a pole up your ass?" Grimmjow, who Vicenta just realized was sitting across form her mother, asked, quirking a brow.

Aporro glared at him, flipping the bird.

Grimmjow snorted, rolling his eyes.

Vicenta glared at him. No one fucked with _her_ mother. She kicked Grimmjow under the table. Hard.

Grimmjow jumped, yelping. He then glared at the sleeping Espada.

Then Stark jumped, his jaw clenching as he held back a shout and his eyes bulging. Apparently, _he_ had just been kicked. After he had recovered, the former Primera glared at Grimmjow and snarled, "Grimmjow…"

"You kicked me, you bastard!"

Stark blinked, "What?"

"You k—"

"No he didn't!" Vicenta interrupted, rolling her eyes and shooting Grimmjow a nasty look, "I did, you stupid fuck."

Grimmjow stared at her, "What the fuck?!"

"Don't fuck with my mom, asshole!"

"You lit—"

"Stop it!" Aporro screeched, slamming her hand down onto the table. The room fell silent. Aporro pinched the bridge of her nose, growling and hissing, "Fucking Arrancar… Alright, you," She pointed to Grimmjow, "Fuck off and eat your food. You," She glanced at Stark, "Sorry you got dragged into this. You," She glanced at her daughter, frowning, "Thank you, hon, but I can fight my own battles. And you're grounded."

Vicenta blinked, "Wha—"

"What's going on over here?" Szayel walked up, frowning when Aporro froze. He then blinked when Aporro stood and stormed out of the room.

Vicenta blinked again. Never, in her whole five months of living, had she been so confused. Living with Arrancar, she was coming to understand, was rather chaotic…

* * *

Grimmjow glared down at the keypad in front of him, pounding in numbers in hope he'd eventually get the combination right. Goddamned human bitch… what numbers had she entered?!

"What are you doing?!"

The cat Arrancar froze, glancing over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. He smirked when he saw the pink-headed bastard's half-breed lovechild. Vice-somethin'-or-other…

She was standing about seven feet away, her arms crossed and her weight shifted to one hip. Her head was cocked to the side and her eyes were narrowed, a strand of her long black hair hanging across her face. Damn, for a half-breed, she looked real fuckable…

Still… how had he not noticed her?

"You know, your reiatsu is real pathetic…" He smirked when she tensed.

"Fuck you, Jaegerjaquez." The girl narrowed her eyes even more, "And get away from that door. You know we're not allowed outside."

"On whose orders?" He quirked a brow, "Your mothers? Fuck that bitch. She's lucky I didn't rip her throat out for talking to me like that…"

The girl tensed, the muscles in her jaw clenching as she ground her teeth. Grimmjow smirked. She was so much fun to fuck with…

"I'm telling my mother." She snapped, turning and storming down the hall.

"…Hey, what's your name?"

The girl froze, turning back on one heel to stare at him with one brow quirked, "What?"

Grimmjow scoffed, "What, you deaf now? Your name, bitch. What is it?"

"…Vicenta Acere Grantz." She answered, holding herself straight with pride.

"Vicenta, eh?" Grimmjow smirked, walking towards her with long, lazy steps, "Tell ya what, _Vicenta_, you give me something I'm interested in and I'll be a good boy and stay in your little rat hole, here…"

Her eyes flashed and her body tensed as she considered it, "What do you want? A fight?"

"Nah." Grimmjow's smirk widened as he got even closer. "Somethin' else…"

"What?"

He paused, considering her for a moment. He was standing close enough so his chest almost touched her shoulder, which was still standing out because on his walk over she had stayed only halfway turned back towards him.

For someone with as weak a spiritual pressure as her, as common a pressure among most of the Arrancar that barely crossed the qualification line to seal their excess power into a zanpakuto, she should be at least feeling some form of discomfort. And she did; he could see it in the way she was clenching her jaw and the way her hands were shaking slightly.

But she was holding a front… trying to look strong in front of him. Grimmjow increased his pressure slightly, smirk twitching when the only part of her that faltered was her eyes, which shook slightly. Those same eyes then narrowed.

Oh, yeah. The girl was perfectly aware of what he was doing, but she wasn't backing down. She knew he could, at the very least, knock her unconscious on a whim of raised energy, but she wasn't about to give.

Grimmjow liked that. It make him laugh slightly in the back of his throat. And, when her eyes narrowed even more, that small laugh became a chuckle.

"Well?" Vicenta snapped, clearly through with his little game. "What do you want?"

"Nothin' much…" Grimmjow drawled lazily. Then, he struck, grabbing Vicenta's arm and pulling her close. He smashed his lips down on hers, tongue darting out and lapping up the blood when her lips split slightly. He backed away a moment later, smirking down at the shocked look on her face, "Just that."

His smirk stayed in place as she stumbled back, her eyes wide and her cheeks turning a light shade of red. "Th-that's… all then…?" She stuttered, the red deepening, "Th-that's all you wanted?"

"Yeah." Grimmjow snickered, "I'll be a good boy and stay, now."

"G-g-good." Vicenta nodded, "Good… Ah…" She shifted back and forth, "Bye." She then disappeared.

Grimmjow stared after her, smirking widely. He then rubbed a drip of excess blood from the corner of his mouth, licking it and considering the taste. "Not bad… Not bad at all…"

* * *

Vicenta paced her room, wringing her hands. Even though it hurt, she pursed her lips in frustration, then winced and pressed her fingers to the bruising.

She wasn't stupid; she knew what a kiss was. She'd seen her mother and father do it plenty of times… And her mom had done it to her a few times. Never on the lips, though…

Vicenta was confused. Thoroughly. She needed to talk to someone…

"Mom?" She knocked on the door to her parent's room, "Mom? Are you there?" She balked as the door opened slightly, an eye flashing through the crack.

"You're alone? He isn't with you, is he?"

Vicenta blinked, "Who? Dad? No… it's just me."

There was a pause, then the door closed and there were several clicks, tinklings of chains, and a few sliding bangs before the door opened again, and only enough for one person to slip in. "Come inside. Hurry."

She slipped inside, turning and quirking a brow as Aporro slammed the door shut and locked it, then slid several deadbolts and chain locks into place. "You and Douchebag fighting or something?"

"Something like that…" Aporro sighed, turning to her daughter and giving a strained smile, "Need something, hon?"

"Yeah…" Vicenta sat down on the edge of the bed, "I… uh… need to ask you a question…"

"Shoot." Aporro nodded, flopping down onto a beanbag by the door.

"Ah… what does a… kiss in the lips mean?" Vicenta blinked as her mother fell over out of the beanbag, knocking her head on the door. "Are you okay?"

"Shit… fuck… damn it…" Aporro cursed, sitting up and rubbing her head. "Yeah, I'm good… What was the question again?"

"When you give me a kiss, it's always on the cheek… but you still mean 'I love you' but it, right? And you and dad… you kiss on the lips all the time. What does it mean? Is it the same thing?"

Aporro stared at her for a moment, her head tilted to the side.

* * *

What the fuck…?! I mean, I knew my daughter was a bit… naïve in most aspects, but this…

Damn it, I hadn't been there to protect her.

"Who kissed you on the lips?!" I screeched, jumping to my feet and rushing over to Vicenta, looking her over, "Are you okay?! You aren't hurt, are you?! Who the fuck did this to you?!" I grabbed her head, tilting it to look for more damage other than the obvious.

"Fuck, I'm fine, Mom!" Vicenta flailed, waving my hands away. "No one did anything to me!"

"Like hell." I huffed, standing straight and glaring down at her, "Your lips are bruised, your face is still flushed, and you're dazed. Someone pulled a fast one on you, and I want to know who the son of a bitch was."

"It wasn't anyone." Vicenta huffed, "Now, please, answer my question."

I frowned, stepping back, "Any kind of kiss generally is a display of some form of affection. Kisses on the lips, though… well, they're a more intimate type of affection, though it depends on who gives it. If it's family, it generally means the same as a cheek kiss. If it's someone else, though… well, if they mean it, it's a display of intimate affection. Very intimate. If they don't mean it that way, it's more they're just fucking with you. You also have to factor in if you actually enjoyed it. Vicenta who—"

* * *

Vicenta wasn't listening anymore.

Okay, so she got it now. Grimmjow had been fucking with her; trying to get into her head and screw around with her. That she could live with; it hadn't meant anything.

But that last part her mother had said… "You also have to factor in if you actually enjoyed it."

…Now she had a problem.

Vicenta _had_ enjoyed it.

* * *

I blinked, going silent as Vicenta stared off into space, the flush in her cheeks slowly getting darker and darker.

Well, well… It looked like whoever had stolen a kiss from Vicenta had also stolen her right to a first crush.

And with all of the Arrancar who had poured in… what, just yesterday? Well, with all of them who had come, I was going to have a fun time finding out who it was. Of course, the real fun wouldn't come until the interrogation and possible beating…

I would be saved a whole lot of time, though, if I could just get the truth out of her…

"Vicenta." I grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes, "Sweetheart, I'm not angry, but I need you to tell me who did this. Who kissed you, hon?"

"No one…" She mumbled, red.

I sighed, then turned and walked to the door, unlocking it and walking out.

Fuck the fact that he and I… weren't exactly talking right now. I needed Szayel's help. This wasn't good.

Yes, Vicenta had the body of a fifteen-year-old, and since she had reached puberty her rapid growth had slowed to what Szayel had defined as a normal rate, but that didn't change the fact that she was only five months old. She wasn't old enough to understand the seriousness of what had happened to her.

She was young, naïve, and goddamn it she was _my_ daughter, and no uppity bastard was going to kiss her without letting me know his intentions first!

"Sza—" I stopped before stepping foot into the lab.

He was hunched over his computer and didn't respond, too into his work to have even heard me.

I stared at his back, jaw clenching.

"_I love you…"_

I turned, slinking away quietly. I hadn't been able to face him since I'd said it. As soon as I had, I had shut myself in the bathroom. He hadn't perused me, and I hadn't come out until he had gone to work the next day. We hadn't spoken, and we weren't about to.

I'd take care of this problem with Vicenta on my own.

And I wasn't about to talk to Szayel.


	33. XXXIII Naive

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Aaaaaaah, there you are."

Vicenta whirled, yelping when she was slammed back against the wall and a pair of familiar lips crashed down onto hers. She flailed for a moment, then gave in and leaned into it, letting Grimmjow kiss her. She then gave in completely, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've been looking for you…" Grimmjow mumbled after a moment, smirking and pulling back, "You're one hard bitch to find…"

"Not really…" Vicenta rasped, looking down, "I just know this place very well… I usually take the back corridors. Good escape routes…"

Grimmjow quirked a brow, "Escape?"

"VICENTA ACERE!!"

"From the Douchebag." Vicenta muttered, grabbing Grimmjow's hand and turning, taking off down a small hallway.

"VICENTA!!"

Gritting her teeth, Vicenta paused and looked around, then turned and dove into a nearby room, slamming the door shut and locking it.

"…The hell was that about?" She jumped, turning. She'd completely forgotten about Grimmjow for a moment… He was staring at her with a quirked brow, "You piss your dad off or something?"

"Something like that." She shrugged. "I put another virus in his computer…"

Grimmjow smirked, "Did you, now?" He lunged, pinning her to the wall and kissing her, yet again.

Vicenta moaned, leaning in and returning it.

Grimmjow was… appealing.

He was violent, dependant heavily on his animalistic instincts, and she liked that.

Her father was a very orderly and strict man… Her mother was brash, yes, but this was beyond anything she'd previously known.

He was rough, he was powerful, the air around him was heady with a certain rawness, an untamed element… and she liked it. She liked it a lot. It was intoxicating. And she wasn't able to fight, no matter what her upbringing was screaming at her.

Wait… her upbringing…

Vicenta jumped, yelping when she felt Grimmjow's hands slipping up under her jacket.

"Problem?" Grimmjow growled, staring down at her.

She stared up at him, eyes wide, then turned and unlocked the door, running out.

Grimmjow stared after her. "…What the fuck?"

* * *

I grabbed Vicenta as she ran passed, "What's his name?"

"Grimmjow…" And she was gone, though her flushed and upset face burned in my memory.

I twitched, staring after her. GRIMMJOW?! GRIMMJOW JAEGERJAQUEZ?! THE FORMER SEXTA ESPADA?!

OH, FUCK NO!!

I spun around, twitching when I saw _guess who_?!

"Speak of the devil!" I lashed out when Grimmjow blinked at me, kicking him in the balls.

"MOTHER FUCKER!!" Grimmjow grasped his crotch, falling first to his knees, then to his side, writhing.

I lunged, slamming down onto his stomach and grabbing his neck, throttling him. It only took a moment for my anger to wane even slightly, and with it my spiritual pressure and suddenly his hierro was strong again and the throttling wasn't having any effect.

He was still writhing, though, so I was still able to sit on him and glare down at him. A second later I had his zanpakuto drawn and pressed against his neck.

Grimmjow snapped out of it at this and glared up at me, "You CUNT!!"

Everything passed in a flash and suddenly I was punned against the wall, one of his large hands on my neck and sealing off my airway. _I_ still had the sword, though, so I was going to keep it pressed against his cradle robbing neck even _if_ I passed out!!

"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM, BITCH?!"

With the last bit of breath in my lungs, I inhaled, "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM M—"

"Will both of you just _shut up_?!"

The world jerked again and suddenly I was being held by the back of my collar, dangling a good three feet off of the ground. Across from me, Grimmjow was in much the same situation, held up by a gloved hand that was even larger than his.

We both looked up into the sleepy, angry grey eyes of none other than Stark. "Honestly, I go through the trouble of requesting a room in the back for the specific purpose of avoiding noise, and somehow _you_ two find me. Well, let's settle this so I can go back to sleep, shall we?"

Then I was tumbling across a large bed, Grimmjow's zanpakuto still clutched tightly in my hand. Stupid, I know, but I was still pissed. I sat up, shaking my head, then glancing to the side when I heard Grimmjow grunt. He was rolling across the floor… Thank GOD Stark was something of a gentleman.

"Now," Stark grumbled, flopping down onto a pile of beanbags and pillows across the room, "Both of you, talk this out."

I nodded, then turned and glared at Grimmjow, who was already glaring at me, "Stay the fuc—"

"Preferably without swearing." Stark sighed, letting his head fall back onto his mountain of pillows. "Swearing leads to anger, anger leads to yelling, yelling leads to Stark not getting any sleep. And if Stark doesn't get any sleep, he will be pissed."

"Fine." I grumbled, never looking away from Grimmjow, "Stay away from my daughter. She's not ready for what you're looking for."

Grimmjow smirked, "Seemed ready a few minutes ago…"

"SHE'S FIVE MONTHS OLD!!"

Even though Stark had said 'no yelling', he looked up and stared at me right along with Grimmjow.

"…What?" Grimmjow said after a moment.

"She's five fucking months old." I hissed, glaring at him, "The crossbreeding resulted in rapid development until her body reached puberty. While she may be _physically_ ready for it, mentally she doesn't know what the hell she's feeling or what the fuck your advancements mean."

"…Ah." Grimmjow blinked.

"Exactly." I stood, sneering and throwing his sword at him, "So, now that your interest has been eliminated, please leave her alone." I turned and walked to the door.

"…I'm not not interested anymore, you know."

If the double negative weren't enough to stop me, what he said was.

I froze, turning back slowly and staring at him. "…I beg your pardon?"

Grimmjow stood, sighing heavily and sheathing his sword, "I said that the fact that she's only five months old isn't going to stop me from perusing her." He glanced at me, frowning, "I'll just have to take things nice a slow… Savor it."

I tensed, glaring, "You stay away from her…"

"You know, Arrancar are on their own from birth."

"And where I'm from, children aren't considered legal adults until their twentieth year." I narrowed my eyes, "You stay away from her."

"What, are you going to try to stop me? You really think you can, _human_?" Grimmjow sneered.

"I'll die trying to stop you." I said, turning to face him, "And let's see what she thinks about you when you've killed me."

Grimmjow blinked, then narrowed his eyes until his irises were nothing but slits. "So, I have to get your approval, do I? Well, I'm fucked, huh?"

I threw him a sickeningly sweet smile, "Yeah, pretty much."

Grimmjow snarled and started pacing.

I heard a sigh and glanced over, blinking when I saw Stark shaking his head.

"What do I have to do to get you to say yes?" I turned back to Grimmjow, who had stopped pacing and was staring at me.

I blinked, thinking for a moment, then scowled. "She isn't going to be a simple one time fuck. I refuse to let her be that. You, though, are incapable of promising something like that. Arrancar don't love, or do you think I don't know that? I know… better than you can imagine. You won't gain my approval. Stay the fuck away from my daughter, or I will kill you." I turned and stormed out.

* * *

"I'd give up if I were you." Stark mumbled, sighing and rubbing his temple as the door slammed shut, "That is one one-night stand you won't be getting."

Grimmjow scowled, glaring after Aporro. "Fuck one-night stands…"

Stark paused, then quirked a brow, "You don't mean…"

The blue-haired Arrancar glanced at him, "And if I do?"

"You've known her all of sixty-two hours and have interacted with her on a total of four occasions. You can't have been able to determine her as being _that_ in that amount of time."

"Fuck you." Grimmjow stormed out.

Stark stared after him, then sighed and let his head flop back, sighing, "Damned kids…"

* * *

Vicenta swung at the practice dummy in front of her again, whacking it with her practice sword in the practice room.

Practice, practice, practice!

That's all Vicenta ever got to do!

Her mother wasn't able to fight her, her father didn't take her seriously… For _once_ she wanted an actual fight! One where she had to struggle to survive! One that _meant_ something…

"You know, hitting the dummies that hard usually only pisses you off more…"

Vicenta froze, looking over her shoulder slowly, flushing when she saw Grimmjow standing behind her on a practice mat, smirking.

"You want to fight the real thing?" He tilted his head to the side slightly, quirking a brow and drawing his zanpakuto, "Or do you want to keep beating the shit outta that thing?"

Her eyes widened, "…You mean that?! Like, really fight?! With zanpakuto and everything?!"

"Yeah." Grimmjow smirked incredulously, "What? Does that shock you?"

"I _never_ get to actually _fight_ fight anyone!" Vicenta grinned, jumping over onto the mat with him and drawing her zanpakuto. "This is great!"

Grimmjow snickered, then nodded, "Okay, so pretty much everything goes. Resurreccion included. And don't worry…" He smirked, "I won't kill ya. Ready? Go!" And he was gone.

Vicenta stared at where he had been, suddenly very woozy. '…Resur… reccion…?' She dodged an attack, jumping to the side, 'Fuck.'

* * *

"Aporro, we need to…" Szayel sighed, "Talk…"

"Do we? Really? What about? Everything is great!" Aporro said quickly, holding a book up in front of her face as she stood before Szayel as if she were actually reading. He knew she wasn't, though. She never stood and read. "Yep!! Everything is fan-fucking-tastic!!" She hadn't been angry when she'd said it. It was just second nature… "Yep! Life has never been better! We're great!"

"Aporro, stop." Szayel sighed heavily.

"Okay!" She said brightly, turning and walking off, still holding the book up in front of her face.

"Aporro, I still need to talk to you."

"Okay!" She turned back, the book still in front of her face.

"…Aporro, that book is upside down…"

"…I …am… aware… of that…?" She had actually said that as a question… Sad. "I just… ah… I'm expanding my… horizons…"

"…Right." Szayel shook his head, "We need to talk about what you sai—"

"Oh, would you look at that, it's time for my aerobics workout! Let's talk later, okay?!"

Szayel blinked as she turned and ran, book still in front of her face. He blinked again when she ran into a wall, then blinked once more when she stood and ran off, still holding the book in front of her face.

He sighed, "Well, this is going well…"

* * *

Oooooooooh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!!!!!!!!

Szayel wants to _**talk**_!!! About what I 'sai—', and while I don't know what 'sai—' means, but I bet it was 'said', and the only thing that I said that he would want to talk about would be the "I love you" thing!!

FUCK!!

SHIT!!

I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT!!

THAT WOULD BE AWKWARD!!

And… well, hell, let's all face it, he doesn't love me… I love him but he doesn't love me… he can't…

So I don't want to talk to him about me loving him. There's no point in talking about it. Things will get awkward, I'll have to get my own room at the other end of the complex, Vicenta will get upset and confused, and we won't be able to have hot sex anymore.

And, damn it, I LIKE BEING ON TOP!!

…Fuck, I'm being hormonal. I'd better not be pregnant again…

OW!! FUCK!! I JUST RAN INTO ANOTHER FUCKING WALL!! WHY AM I STILL HOLDING THIS BOOK IN FRONT OF MY FACE?!

"Damn it!" I tossed the book aside. I froze.

I needed to talk to another female… that's what I needed. And thank fucking god there were a whole slew of fresh estrogen here with the new Arrancar that had just poured in. Fuck not knowing any of them personally. They were females. That's good enough in my book.

Speaking of book…

I turned back and grabbed the book. I was gonna drop the book back of at my room and go find a girl. Or a whole slew of girls. We were gonna have a girls' night out. And we were going to talk about how stupid men were and we were gonna get drunk and I was going to forget all about my problems.

WOOT!!

YEAH!!

LET'S GET DRUNK!!

"HEY!!" I grabbed a female Arrancar as she passed, "SPREAD THE WORD!! GIRLS' NIGHT OUT AT THE CAFETERIA!! BRING BOOZE IF YOU'VE GOT IT!!" She stared at me like I was high but I didn't care; in a way I was. I turned and ran off, grabbing any female I passed and screaming the same message.

YES!! I AM GOING TO GET DRUNK AND FORGET ALL OF MY PROBLEMS!! WOOT!!

AND I AM _NOT_ GOING TO LET THIS THING WITH SZAYEL GET IN MY WAY!!

…Eventually, I will have to make sure that Grimmjow is staying away from Vicenta but for now, WOOT!! LET'S GET DRUNK!!


	34. XXXIV Allowance

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"'nnnd then… then, you won't believe wha' I ssssaid!" I snickered, flopping over onto Halibel's lap and looking up at her, "Firsht, I orgassshmed, and then… then I ssssaid… I told 'im I lloved him! Pfft-hah!!" I giggled, rubbing my nose with one hand and reaching up to tug on one of her banded sections of hair with the other, "Can you believe tha'?! I fuckin' told him I lloved him!! Wha' kind'o stupid shit 'm I?!" I giggled again, then started laughing.

"Quite stupid." Halibel sighed, reaching up and pulling her hair out of my hand.

"But I meant it, ya know…" I mumbled, reaching up and tugging the bottom of her shirt/jacket/thing down. "Ya know…" I pointed to her breasts, "Those're huge… When ya see cleavage on the bottom, they call it neathage… or bott'm cleavage… or reversh cleavage… hell, they even call it 'n underboob!!"

Halibel closed her eyes and sighed heavily

"Lilinette!" I shouted, raising my glass, "'Nother shot if ya don't mind!!"

"Aren' you drinkin' too mush?" Lilinette slurred slightly, stumbling over and refilling my glass.

I glared at her, "Hypoctite… Least I ain't underage." I downed my glass.

Lilinette glared at me, "'mmmm not undrrage… 'rrancar—"

"Don' have age. I'know, I'know…" I sat up, groaning, "Ffffffuck, it's hot…" I took off my shirt, groaning in pleasure as the cold air cooled my skin. I then threw my head back and shouted, "MEN SUCK!!"

My call was met by a resounding chorus of cheered agreements and suddenly it was raining shirts… And, unlike me, some of these females didn't wear bras.

But what did we care?! We were drunk off our fuckin' asses!!

"WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!" I grabbed a shirt (who the fuck knows who it belonged to…) and stood on the table, waving it around over my head, "FUCK MEN!!"

"FUCK MEN!!"

"FUCK AAAAALLLL MEN!!"

"I LOVE WOMEN!!"

"MEN SUCK!!"

"MEN'RE ALL PUSSIES!!"

"PUSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEESSSSSS!!"

I fell back onto the table, giggling at the pain that shot through my back. "We need ssssssomething to light up in here!!" I rolled around for a minute, thinking, "Though I don' think any o' you have grass…" Then the world was spinning and I was on the ground.

Okay, something you all need to know about Arrancar alcohol… It doesn't exactly have the same effects as human alcohol in some respects. Really, it depends on the kind you drink. I'm not too sure, though… Someone had tried to explain it to me while I was drunk.

"Miss Aporro, I believe you've had enough…" Halibel, the one I later discovered had been the only sober one there, growled, hefting me up by the back of the collar and forcing me to meet her eyes. "Go home and go to bed."

"Killjoy…"

I winced when the door slammed open, making a headache radiate to the base of my skull, and glanced over at the door, frowning, "Aww, fuck! Men!"

Several males, including Stark and Szayel, were standing in the doorway, watching the spectacle of several drunk and topless females scream and argue amongst one another.

"Aw, fuck! Men!!"

"Go away!!"

"Men suck!!"

"'cept that one!" I intervened, pointing to Szayel, "He sucks, but he's not really a man…"

Szayel frowned, "Aporro, be quiet."

"I love him, ya know!!" I shouted, "But he's _my_ bitch! He _sucks_ at dominatin'!"

"Aporro…"

"More of a woman than anythin'!!"

"Aporro!"

"I'M THE ONE WHO'S ON TOP!!"

Szayel clenched his jaw, turning and storming away.

I glared after him, "Get back here, you pussy! I'm not done with you yet!!" I flailed and broke out of Halibel's grip, stumbling after him. "Szayel! Geh'back here!!" Tottering passed the males, I looked around the hall until I caught sight of a flash of pink turning a corner. "HEY!!"

Szayel kept storming away.

"Hey!" I lunged, wrapping my arms around his waist as he turned to go into our room. "Where th' fuck are you goin', pussy?! Get back here!"

"Aporro," Szayel hissed, "I really, really don't want to deal with you right now…"

"Too fuckin' bad…" I glared up at him, "You made me, you fucked me up, I had your kid, you're fuckin' stuck with me. Even if you don' feel the same way I do…"

Szayel glared down at me, then dragged me into the room and slammed the door shut. "Let us get something clear, Aporro, you are my tool. You have no free will. And you," He grabbed my collar, slamming me into the wall and staring down at me with narrowed eyes, "Made a huge mistake in choosing to dedicate your heart to me."

"You think I don't know that?!" I growled up at him, pushing passed my slurring and pushing against his chest, "I can't help it at this point, though… Szayel, I love you…"

"I am aware of that, Aporro…" He sighed heavily.

"I haven't…" I went on, flopping against him, "Been able to talk to you about it… because I didn't want to… but… I love you… I love you so much…"

Szayel closed his eyes, "I know…"

I stared up at him for a moment. "…And you have nothing to say back, do you?"

"You know the answer to that." Szayel sighed, "And you know I hate restating the obvious…"

"Yeah…" I mumbled, looking down, "You do… Szayel, I want a room transfer."

"…Fine. But not tonight… You're in no condition to be on your own."

"Alright…" It meant nothing. The care he took in leading me to bed, the gentleness in his procedure to remove my soiled clothes, the way he held me as we laid down to sleep… None of it meant anything.

I had always known it hadn't, but confirmation always hurts…

Fuck me and this heart.

* * *

"You gonna fuckin' release your zanpakuto or not?" Grimmjow, already in his Pantera form, snarled, flipping backwards to give her room. Really, fighting her outright in her initial form was a bore.

Vicenta chewed her lip, considering the zanpakuto at her side. It was the one thing about herself she couldn't stand.

Sub par hierro she could live with; only brutes who attacked mindlessly without pausing to consider if the counterattack would be critical actually needed hierro. Bala… she had never used it, and she never would, and she was perfectly happy with that. Her sonido was exquisite, and her cero second nature. Both were still developing and nothing compared to her father when he actually tried, but she knew for her level they were above average.

Her swordplay, thanks to her mother's insistence that she practice, was refined. Not exactly powerful, but her moves were oft complex and difficult to parry.

But her Resurreccion…

Vicenta knew why her Resurreccion was as pathetic as it was. Her father had started to explain it, then when her mother thought he was being too harsh about it, Aporro took Szayel aside and had him explain it to her first. _Then_ Aporro had explained it to her daughter, though Vicenta had still heard it in her father's highly disappointed and seriously critical tone.

The explanation was rather simple, though it hit home hard; Vicenta had no original Hollow form. Because of this, when she released her zanpakuto, her speed, strength, and cero increased. That was it. No changes to her body structure, no alteration to her mask. Hell, her zanpakuto didn't even change.

Vicenta hated herself _and_ her weak Resurreccion.

Which was why she never used it.

"C'mon! Release already!!"

Vicenta ground her teeth, drawing her blade from its dull grey sheath slowly. The stunning silver blade and complex wire hilt of the rapier belied its weakness, and for a moment Vicenta stopped to consider what she would look like, how she would feel, if she actually had the type of release that her zanpakuto's name hinted at…

"Command it, already!"

She didn't want to… it was embarrassing and she didn't want Grimmjow, of all people, to see how weak she was.

Still, this was Grimmjow, the former Sexta Espada, who was ordering her, and while her mother may have had no respect for them her father had told her to show them proper consideration.

"RELEASE!!"

She had to obey…

"Whip, Gavilan Pintado."

Vicenta closed her eyes at the sudden increase and burst of pressure in her power increase, then sonidoed forward as quickly as possible so Grimmjow couldn't see her. Reappearing behind him, she aimed her hand at his head and released a quick cero when her turned to face her, blasting him in the eyes.

She died a little inside at this; she hated making cheap shots, but for some reason she really, really didn't want Grimmjow to see her…

Grimmjow, though, brushed aside her navy cero and lunged, pinning her to the ground. He then paused and stared down at her, frowning. "Where's your release?"

"…" Vicenta looked away, mumbling, "This… is it… I don't have… a Hollow form…"

"…Ah." Grimmjow blinked, standing. He then grabbed her sword arm and pulled her up, taking her zanpakuto and staring at it for a moment, then looking down at her and considering her carefully. He then smirked, "Well, at least your reiatsu doesn't completely suck now."

Vicenta blinked. "Huh?"

Grimmjow nodded, twirling her zanpakuto around and smirking, "A bit of training and you might be worth actually fighting… Here." He chucked her blade back at her, recompressing and sealing Pantera. "Let's get to work!" He declared, sheathing his blade.

Vicenta blinked again, "Huh?"

"Training you!" Grimmjow grinned. "We'll get you to a level that's worth fighting soon enough. Now, seal your zanpakuto and we'll get to it!"

"…Why are you doing this?"

He blinked, then sighed and shrugged, "I'm bored, no one else here will fight me seriously, you need it…" He paused, smirking, "And damn it if I don't like the idea of taking advantage of you when you're exhausted."

Vicenta blinked, reddening. She didn't quite know what 'taking advantage' of her meant, but that smirk he had was giving her a few ideas…

"Okay!"

And she was very interested in them.

* * *

I watched from behind the bleachers in interest.

A quick nap, a tonic from Szayel, and a slap from myself was all it had taken to snap me out of my stupor, and figuring the training area was the last place anyone would look for me I'd gone there…

Only to be shocked when I saw I wasn't the only one in the facility.

I'd come in at roughly the time when Vicenta had released her zanpakuto, and was shocked to see Grimmjow wasn't being a total jackass…

Actually, he was training her now…

Huh… maybe he wasn't a complete jack-off. And it seemed like Vicenta really liked him… I didn't see her smile that often, and never for that long.

And at least Grimmjow didn't seem completely interested in pinning her and shoving his tongu— Nap, never mind. They were making out. He'd pined her and shoved his tongue down her throat, and she had thrown her arms around his neck and started to reciprocate.

At least it was willing… and he was holding back on shoving his hands up her shirt.

His hands hovered around the hem a few times, entertaining the idea, but ultimately he just stuck with exploring her mouth.

And it wasn't like there was much I could do about that, anyway; they'd already done it at least two times…

…Alright, I'll admit it. I was starting to think Grimmjow wasn't that bad… He'd need a serious talking to before I let him go any further, but maybe I could let Grimmjow 'date' her…

I watched for a bit longer as they alternated between training and making out until they just tapered off with the training and stuck with writing around on the training mats, and when they'd had their tongues down one another's throats for a good solid five minutes, I stood and got ready to intervene.

Unfortunately, a certain bastard beat me to it.

The doors slammed open, "…Vicenta? JAEGERJAQUEZ?!"

I winced. Ooooh, fuck. It was Szayel.

I ran out from behind the bleachers as Vicenta and Grimmjow stood, the former backing away and the latter shifting and scowling as Szayel stormed into the room, his hand flying to Fornicaras' hilt.

"You little sack of—"

"Hold it!" I held up my arm, barely flinching as Fornicaras sliced through the material of my jacket and slid a millimeter into my skin before the wielder stopped his swing.

The room fell into a shocked silence.

I had shielded Grimmjow.

"Szayel, leave them be. I have this handled."

"Do you, now?" Szayel hissed, his eyes narrowing dramatically, "And is that why you've been sitting in here and allowing it to happen for thirty minutes? Because you're _handling_ it?!"

"Yes, Szayel." I hissed, glaring back, "That is _exactly_ why I have been allowing it to happen. Because I have it handled _entirely_. Now, back the fuck off; I have this."

The scientist tensed, pressing forward, "Aporro, you—"

I punched him in the mouth.

As Szayel stumbled back, cradling his bleeding face, I turned back to Grimmjow and glared at him. "Fine. You get a trial run. The second you make her cry or go further than you know I'd let you, it's over and you're done. Got it? Keep in mind I'll be watching you at all times." I turned and grabbed Szayel's bloody collar, dragging him out of the room, leaving Vicenta and Grimmjow alone.

* * *

"…" Grimmjow glanced at Vicenta, smirking, "Your mom is one crazy bitch."

Vicenta buried her flaming face into her hands.


	35. XXXV Breakup

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS!!"

"And I," I started, packing a few of my books into a box, "Can't believe how fuckin' adorable you looked when it looked like you were going to try to protect your daughter's honor." I threw him a smirk, "You really do love her, don'tcha?"

Szayel glared at me flatly and hissed, "I will not allow this."

"I've got news for ya, Szayel." I hissed back, turning and bracing my hands on the mattress, glaring at him from across the bed, "The only way you can choose 'not to allow' anything is if you actually loved her, but considering it's not possible for you to do that, you have no right to stop her. I am her mother and I say she can date him."

"…Love?!" Szayel shrieked, following me as I shoved a pillow into the box and stormed into the bathroom, "Is that what this rebellion is about?! Is that why you're actually moving out of the room?! Because I don't love you?!"

"You know what, Szayel? Yes." I shoved my pads into the box, then turned and dumped the contraceptive pills down the toilet, "That is exactly why." I flushed it. I wouldn't be needing those anymore…

"This childish display isn't going to make me love you, Aporro." Szayel rolled his eyes, following me as I walked to the door.

I turned, slapping him, then grabbing his face and pulling him close, kissing him. "That's not the point, Szayel. I'm not trying to make you love me." I backed away, picking up the box, "I can't live like this anymore. You don't see me as anything more than another one of your experiments, and if that's all I am to you then I don't need to be here anymore."

"…So…" Szayel started as I turned and walked to the door, opening it, "You're really leaving…"

"…Yeah… I am."

I closed the door.

* * *

As soon as I was in my new room and I had the door closed, I dropped my box and collapsed, covering my head and bursting into tears.

Szayel hadn't come after me.

He hadn't tried to stop me.

He hadn't even tried to lie to get me to stay…

He'd let me pack, walk out, close the door, and then walk away.

And now here I was, alone and crying.

Fuck, I'm pathetic…

When I'd finally calmed down and stopped crying, I stood and dumped my box out on my bed, throwing my pillow to the head, walking over and organizing my books on the desk, then walking into the bathroom and shoving my pads under the sink.

I then walked back into the main part of the room and flopped down onto my new, smaller, much emptier bed…

Fuck, I hate my life.

Someone then knocked on my door and I lifted my head, staring at it. Who in the hell… "Come in…"

The door burst open and a blur of black and white shot inside, Vicenta flinging herself onto the bed and wrapping her arms around my waist, looking up at me with wide, imploring amber eyes, "Mom, what happened?! I heard you and Dad got into a fight and now you two aren't living together anymore!"

I looked up when the door shut, blinking when I saw Grimmjow leaning back against it and looking around with vague disinterest. His eyes, though, kept flickering back, as if he wanted to hear an explanation, as well.

Damn, news sure gets around fast…

"Your dad and I didn't get into a fight and we aren't arguing." I sighed, "We just… need to spend some time apart."

"Mom, that's not true…" Vicenta mumbled, looking down at my stomach, "I know for a fact that you and Dad have been sleeping in the same bed since way before I even came, and that you two have never done anything like this. Lumina and Verona told me as much…"

I let my head flop back onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling, "Okay, first off, we hadn't been sharing a bed since 'way' before you came; probably a few weeks or months. I don't know… it's hard to tell time here. And second, you know Lumina and Verona are morons…" When she just continued to stare at me in mixed shock and fear, I sighed, "But they are right. We've never done this before…"

"What happened…?"

"Vicenta," I sighed, sitting up, "Your father…" I stared down into her face for a moment, then close my eyes, "Never mind. It's nothing. Long story short, our paths have met a crossroads and it looks like we're going in different directions. That's all. Now go on… Mama needs a nap…"

If there's one thing you all can reap from me, let it be this; never bring your kids into your shit, especially not when it deals with you and your significant other. Don't tell your kids how much of an ass your significant other is, and don't ever tell them more than they need to know. You'll fuck them up royally and only make things worse for them and for you.

Vicenta stared up at me for a moment, then nodded slowly and scooted off of the bed, turning and heading for the door. Grimmjow opened it for her and got ready to walk out, but I stopped him.

"Not you, Jaegerjackass." I called, smirking when he glared at me, then sobering and glaring back, "I need to have a talk with you…" When Vicenta paused, glancing between us, I waved her off, "Go on. Grimm-kitty and I are just going to have a quick chat…"

When Vicenta was gone, Grimmjow turned to me fully and growled, "What?"

"Ho-ho…" I quirked a brow, "Uppity for someone who I just gave permission to date my daughter, wouldn't you say?" When he growled but lowered his eyes slightly, I went on, "Ground rules. First off, no displays of affection like the one I saw today in public areas. If you're gonna do that, save it for when you're in Vicenta's room. And yes, her room specifically. I have security cameras in there where I can keep an eye on you. Second, you're not allowed to take her virginity—"

"Until when?" Grimmjow, who had been shifting and wanting to say something before this point, said now.

I glared, "Until she's eighteen in years, not body."

Grimmjow twitched and stared at me, then nodded, "Fine."

"During that time, you are also not allowed to sleep with any other females." When he stared at me with wide eyes, I smirked, "Just you and your hand for eighteen years, buddy."

"Hah…" Grimmjow laughed harshly, twitching, "Arrancar perception of time is different than a humans. It'll seem like no time at all…"

I smirked, "Not without sex, it won't. Next, if eighteen years from now you decide you want to sleep around, that's really none of my business. However, you are to tell Vicenta beforehand."

"I doubt that'll be happening…" Grimmjow mumbled, staring at the wall with a far-off gaze.

I stared at him for a moment, then shrugged, "No second base until the fifth month."

Grimmjow blinked, "Second base?"

"Human metaphor. Means you can't feel her up under her shirt… or, generally, any other under the clothes touching."

Grimmjow twitched. "Anything else?"

"…" I sighed, flopping back down and closing my eyes, "Not at the moment. Take care of my baby for me…"

Grimmjow scoffed, mumbling something, then turned and walked out.

I sighed again, dozed for a bit, then got up and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I still had to go to dinner…

And Szayel would be there. Fuck.

* * *

I stared at the other end of the table, stunned. It had been, what, five hours? FIVE HOURS SINCE I HAD LEFT, AND SZAYEL WAS ALREADY SITTING WITH ANOTHER FEMALE!! WHAT THE FUCK?!

"Who in the fuck is that bitch?" I hissed, glaring at the purple-haired slut who was practically hanging off of Szayel's arm.

"Cirucci Thunderwitch."

I glanced at the person who had answered me, glaring at Stark. "Who?"

Stark shrugged, yawning before going on, "Former Espada, and now… technically former Privaron Espada."

"How does she know Szayel?!" I hissed, glaring back when I heard the Cirucci-bitch laugh.

"They have a… bit of a history, I suppose." Stark shrugged again, laying his head down on his arms, "I'm not too sure on the details, though…"

"History…?" My breath caught in my throat and this came out rasped. I looked down the table again, my chest twisting painfully when Cirucci laid her head on Szayel's shoulder and smirked up at him.

Szayel smirked back.

Cirucci closed her eyes slightly and leaned up, kissing his jaw.

After the initial wave of heart-crushing agony had passed, it was replaced with white-hot rage. The only thing on my mind was revenge, so when Szayel started to turn towards my end of the table I did the only thing that made sense.

I grabbed the closest male and pulled him over to me, jerking him to my level and kissing him. Nothing big like tongue, but it was mouth-to-mouth.

Yes, way more than what Szayel and Cirucci were doing, but for the kind of person Szayel was (not very intimate) it was basically the same thing.

And thank god the person I grabbed was Stark, or else I would have been pushed away way so quickly I would have slammed into the wall.

Stark just twitched and opened his eyes slightly, staring at me flatly when he saw me glancing at the other end of the table.

Cirucci had a brow quirked, but Szayel… he was stunned. And not in a way an ordinary person who didn't know him like I did would be able to tell… His face was completely blank, but his eyes were wide. It was only slightly, but I could see it. I knew Szayel well enough to know he was shocked, stunned, and generally caught off guard.

He looked away quickly when he saw me looking at him, and Cirucci looked up at him and said something.

When they both weren't looking, I pulled back from Stark and stared at them for a moment longer.

"…You're going to make me do that again, aren't you?"

"Probably…" I muttered, "I have to be consistent…" I then realized what I was saying and turned back to him, eyes wide, "Dear god, Stark, I am so sorry!"

He shrugged, "Just don't make a habit of it… It won't solve your problems."

…Thank GOD Stark is too lazy to care.

"Yeah, I kn—" When Szayel turned back, I grabbed Stark and kissed him again.

"…You know, huh?" He quirked a brow when Szayel turned away.

"Sorry, sorry…" I sighed, "I swear, that's the last time." When I looked down the table and saw Cirucci actually _slipping Szayel the tongue_, my eyes burned, "But could you please do me another favor and get me out of here?"

Stark glanced down the table, his eyes widening slightly, "Yeah…"

The vertigo from Stark's sonido is waaaaaay worse than Szayel's, because Stark is waaaaaay better at sonido than Szayel is.

I had to rush into the bathroom and throw up as soon as Stark set me down, and when I came out he was still there. "Sorry…"

"…I've never seen Szayel do something like that." Stark said, shoving his hands into his pockets and slumping slightly, "Are you alright?"

I nodded, smiling, "Oh, yeah…" I then slumped forward and buried my face in my hands, bursting into tears. Before I knew it I was on my knees.

I heard Stark sigh and sit down somewhere nearby, silent.

When I stopped crying, I looked up at him, "I need your help…"

Stark stared at me blankly, "More of what happened at the table?"

"Yeah…"

"Do you really think that will work?"

"I don't know…" I replied honestly, "But it's all I can think of… If Szayel was able to get that bitch at his side that quickly, I have to come back and show him I'm not pining. That I'm not pathetic… Besides, if you suddenly disappear—"

"I get it." He sighed. "And I suppose I don't really have a choice… Lilinette was there and will be expecting to see something. And she'd probably make me help, anyway."

"Thank you…"

"But you know it won't help your situation or make you feel any better…"

"Yeah…" I looked away, "I know… and I'm sorry for dragging you into this…"

Stark shrugged, "Eh, I would have gotten dragged into someone's drama sooner or later. Lilinette would make sure of that…"

I blinked, "Why do you let her?"

He stared at me flatly, "You make it sound like I can make her go away."

* * *

And so it began: The Battle of the Rebounds.

"She looks like she has STDs." I muttered to Stark as Szayel and Cirucci walked passed us in the library. "Fuck, she looks even worse than Loly and Menoly… Slut."

"Talking about it isn't going to make it better…" Stark mumbled sleepily.

I glanced at Stark, my fake rebound boyfriend. He was slumped back in one of the few beanbag chairs in the library (beanbags tended to make people fall asleep, Stark being a good example… though not really. he just slept a lot), one arm crossed over his stomach and the other over his eyes.

I was sitting sideways on his lap, back propped up against one of his knees and a book in my lap. I wasn't really reading it, though…

"I know it won't…" I mumbled, glaring at Szayel and Cirucci's entwined arms, "But damn it does it make me feel awesome. What the fuck… He was never into displays of public affection!"

"You've already said it," Stark yawned, lifting his arm and glancing at me, "Cirucci is a slut. Now quit talking about it and read. Or did you come here just because you knew he would?" When I didn't answer, Stark rolled his eyes and dropped his arm back down on them, "Aporro, if you're going to make it look like you're getting over him, you need to quit following him…"

"I didn't follow him! We were here before him!"

Stark sighed, "Planning your schedule so that you arrive where you know he will two hours early still constitutes as following. It's unbecoming, pathetic, and not helping your situation at all."

I winced, shifting and actually reading a few paragraphs of the book I had opened and hadn't really been looking at.

When I saw a flash of white across from us, though, I couldn't help but look up, and my blood ran cold when I saw Szayel sitting in a chair, Cirucci sitting in his lap. She was facing him, her legs around his waist and the skirt of her dress hiked up. Szayel was leaning forward, his chin on her shoulder so he could look passed her and read while she kissed up the side of his neck, her hands slipping up into his jacket and rubbing his stomach. Then her hands slipped lower an—

"Quit looking." I jumped slightly, looking down at Stark. He was glancing over at Szayel and Cirucci with his nose wrinkled slightly and a disgusted look on his face, but when he looked up at me he sighed. "Don't even acknowledge them."

But I couldn't do it…

When Cirucci started opening Szayel's jacket _right there out in the open_, I shoved the book at Stark and stood, storming over to the 'couple' and growling, "Hey, Thunderbitch."

Cirucci tensed, then threw a glare at me and turned to face me, "What do you—"

I slapped her. Hard.

"What the fuck do you take him for?! Some sleazy punk?! Some horny man-slut?! Show some fucking decency!! You may have no face in public, but he does!"

"You bitch!" Cirucci screeched, pushing away from Szayel and standing, turning on me and setting a hand on her zanpakuto, "What the fuck do you care?! You two aren't even together anymore!"

"I care because I…" I clenched my hand before I said what my mind wanted me to, "Am his lab assistant! It's my job to look out for him!"

"Lab assistant?!" Cirucci laughed loudly, "Last I heard you were nothing more than an experiment gone wrong!"

"YOU BITCH!!" I lunged at her.

"Aporro!"

"Cirucci! Aporro!!"

I was restrained in seconds, Stark's gloved hands pulling me back and holding my arms at my sides, lifting me up so my feet flailed in the air.

Across from me, Cirucci was in much the same situation, though it was much harder for Szayel because she was only two or three inches shorter than him.

Then the image of Szayel fighting to hold Cirucci back was gone in a blur of white, and I clamped my eyes shut as the painful, gut-wrenching, nausea-inducing feel of Stark's sonido washed over me. It was gone as quickly as it had come, though, and I was let go to fall to my knees and burst into angry tears.

I'd done it… I'd finally done it.

I'd fucked up royally, and there was no repair.

I'd lost Szayel.


	36. XXXVI Monogamous

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"I _never_ thought I would meet someone as lazy as Stark, but you sure proved me wrong, Aporro…" Lilinette muttered from across the room.

I didn't answer. I stayed laying down on Stark's chest and staring off listlessly.

"…You know…" Lilinette began after a pause, "This looks really weird… From behind, it looks like Szayel is the one laying down on Stark."

"Lilinette," Stark mumbled, muffled by his arm across his face, "Shut up."

"What? I'm just sayin—"

"Aporro," Stark interrupted, "Vicenta was looking for you earlier… but you were asleep…"

"Thanks… I'll go find her later…"

Lilinette sighed heavily, standing and walking out.

Stark and I lay there in silence for a long time… Like Szayel, Stark had a soft body, though he was a bit more toned than Szayel. The upside, though, was that he was bigger, and it was a lot easier to just lay on him.

And even when he was awake, his heartbeat was so slow…

"Lilinette's right, you know…" Stark muttered amusedly after a while, "This does look a bit twisted… Only your hair is too long. I thought you were supposed to be a near exact replica?"

"He mentioned something about cutting my hair a while ago…" I muttered back, "Never did anything, though… How long is it?"

"Just passed your shoulders…"

"…Huh… He really has let it go…" I sighed, "Stark, it's getting late…"

"I'll walk you back to your room." Stark sighed, standing and setting me on my feet.

Of course, he would; my room was near on the other side of the complex. And I had to pass Szayel's on the way…

Still, with as familiar as I was with the corridors, it didn't take us very long to cross the complex. We still had to pass by Szayel's, though. All of the corridors sort of converged there for the sake of convenience; that way Szayel had access to corridors that led to every part of the complex.

Still… it was a bit of an annoyance for me.

And then it became just heartbreaking when I caught sight of movement in front of Szayel's door and looked, my blood running cold once again when I saw Szayel leading Cirucci in.

"Oh god…" I gagged, leaning against the wall and covering my face.

Stark sighed heavily, and there was a loud slap as he, presumably, hit his forehead with his hand, "Aporro, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you for trying to help," I gasped, forcing myself to keep moving towards my room, "But I don't want to hear it right now…"

"No… Aporro, you don't understand…"

I paused, looking back at him, "Do you have a legitimate reason for believing that they aren't in there… having relations?" The hesitance on Stark's face was all I needed. I whimpered, then turned and ran, locking myself in my room.

I must have paced my room for hours; Stark wasn't right behind me.

I knew it.

I knew it… Szayel was in there… having… _sex_ with Cirucci.

Oh my god… I'm going to be sick…

I stumbled into the bathroom and lost my stomach over and over until there was nothing left, and then I started throwing up bile. Searing pain ran from my gut to my chest, and by the time I was done my throat was so raw there were small streaks of blood in the cloudy liquid that I had just finished upchucking.

I was sobbing as I scrubbed my teeth until my gums bled, and I was wailing as I stumbled back into my room to collapse on my bed.

By the time there was nothing left to cry, my mouth all the way down to my throat dry because I was so dehydrated, all I had energy left for were body-rocking dry heaves that made my gut and sides burn.

My mind was blank, and my body was hollow…

There was nothing left.

I really had lost Szayel…

He was gone…

Dear god, I'd never be able to look at Vicenta again… Never be able to look in a mirror…

I had thought that I could survive on just this one-sided relationship, but I had been wrong…

There was nothing left… I was nothing…

I couldn't even answer when someone knocked at the door. After a while, it opened of it's own accord and my ears thudded with the dull tromp of heavy footsteps as someone lumbered in.

I knew that gait… How could I not when I'd been spending so much time with the walker?

"I do have an answer for you, you know." Stark grunted as he flopped down on my beanbag, "It's just… nothing I'm comfortable talking about…"

I pushed myself onto my elbows weakly and stared at him, listless, "How did you know I was awake? I didn't answer and I should be laying here still enough…"

"I'm excellent at sensing reiatsu." Stark shrugged, "And I've been watching this entire complex since I arrived… As the former Primera, I have something of a latent sense of duty to keep an eye on everyone here. And, since you live here, that includes you. At this point… you're just a bit more prevalent in my mind with all of this drama that's going on. I've been watching you since you left, and I know the difference between your spiritual pressure while sleeping and while awake."

"…Creepy."

Stark snorted.

"…So, what was your explanation?"

Stark twitched, then sighed and let his head flop back, staring at the ceiling. "It's about… Arrancar sexuality…"

I frowned, wincing and burying my face into my comforter, "Do I have to hear this right now? I mean, they're probably still… going at it…"

"They're not." Stark sighed, "They never started. Szayel never planned to. He left his room two minutes after we saw them walk in and he never went back…"

I lifted my head again and stared at Stark, "…How do you know that nothing happened? What do you mean… Arrancar sexuality?"

Stark paused, lifting his head and scratching the back of his head, a half-annoyed, half-embarrassed look on his face, "Arrancar… mate for life."

I stared at him, blinking. "…What?"

He rubbed the back of his head harder, scrunching up his face, "When an Arrancar finds someone they want to mate with, and seriously enough that they want to and eventually have a child, they become monogamous. After they find their life-mate, they never engage in intercourse with another being." Stark threw me a flat look, "You have a child with him. You are his life-mate. That's how I know… nothing is seriously happening between him and Cirucci. Being his life-mate is basically the human equivalency of being married to him… only you don't have to worry about him cheating on you."

I stared at him, blinking, "…What?"

Stark groaned, letting his head fall back, "Szayel is bound to you. Nothing is going on between him and Cirucci."

"…Arrancar… are sexually monogamous?"

"Not a good enough explanation…" Stark sighed, "Arrancar can have as many non-serious partners as they wish, but they never have offspring with them. It's the offspring that initiates the monogamy. Sometimes the intent to create an offspring is enough to initiate it, and other times it's the actual birth of the offspring. It depends on the couple… Haven't you ever wondered why you have never seen Arrancar offspring or two Arrancar in a close relationship?" Stark raised his head again, "Because the life-mate… is a weakness."

I blinked.

"When we find someone we believe to be our life-mate, all else becomes… irrelevant. We act outside of who we are, we chase this person… We are driven." He glanced at me wryly, smirking slightly, "Grimmjow actually thinks that your daughter, Vicenta, is his life-mate. That's why he's willing to wait…"

I balked, staring at him, "You're… serious…"

"Nothing is going on between Szayel and Cirucci." Stark said once again, "Szayel… is simply trying to deny the obvious. Just wait and see, though. Nothing will happen between them, and it will start to show…"

I blinked, "…Just… wait?"

And, for once, Stark smirked, "Do you want to make him pay or not?"

* * *

I walked down the hall easily now, no longer weighted down or depressed. Actually, I was quite happy now. Not to mention comfortable.

Like I said, Stark had a comfortable body.

Not in the same way Szayel did… but in his own way.

His arm around my waist was comfortably heavy, and he wasn't even trying. He was just that massive…

And it was nice to, for once, not walk beside someone who had my height, my weight, my body structure, my face… It was nice just to be me.

And the look on Szayel's face every time I saw him was definitely an added bonus.

With what Stark had told me that night prevalent in my thoughts, it was a lot easier to pretend that we were actually together. It became almost second nature to walk with him, eat with him, and sometimes just fall asleep on him wherever we happened to sit…

Then again, in the last aspect, Stark just had that kind of sleepy aura that could lull you into closing your eyes and giving in.

And with this ease came the happy ease to be as 'affectionate' with one another as it took for others to believe we were actually serious about this relationship.

And, doubly with that, came the absolute freakin' joy of watching Szayel watch us in sheer horror.

FUCK, THIS WAS GETTING FUNNY!!

Every time we saw them, Szayel would stop and watch us pass with open shock and disgust and Cirucci would look between us and Szayel, pissed.

And, of course, Szayel had a reason to be scared and disgusted.

Unlike him, I wasn't bound by this Arrancar life-mate monogamy. For all he knew, I was actually sleeping with Stark. With this on his mind, it was getting pretty hard for him to hold up the façade that he was actually interested in Cirucci.

And it was obvious that Cirucci not only noticed, but was getting rather pissed about not getting any.

So, by doing what we were doing, Stark and I were not only screwing with Szayel, but also that Thunderbitch whore.

"Why are you still doing this?" I asked Stark, laying stomach down on his chest and propping my chin up on my crossed arms.

He smirked down at me, quirking a brow, "What? Can't I get my own entertainment every now and then?" He then lay his head back, closing his eyes and going to 'sleep'.

I stared up at him for a moment longer, then rolled my eyes and smirked, laying my head down and dozing.

"…Will… you… two… GET… UP?!"

Stark and I both yelped as Lilinette pounced, shrieking.

"Honestly!! You two getting all sleepy lovey-dovey right in the middle of the library?! Have you no shame?!"

"Eeeeeeehhhhh…" Stark whined, waving at her, "Lilineeeeeeette… Stoppit…"

"Honestly…" I rasped, wincing when she jumped on and popped my back. I then flipped around and kicked her in the gut, sending her flying, "Let us sleep!"

Stark chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I sighed and smiled, reaching back and clasping my arms around his neck.

"Ewww…" Lilinette stared at us, making a face, "That's soo nasty…"

"You'll understand it someday." I smirked, nestling back down against Stark and working my fingers into his hair.

Lilinette twitched, glaring at us with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, "I am wwaaaaaaay older than you, girl…"

"In years, perhaps." I sighed, "But not in body or mind. That only meets one third of the requirements, so it doesn't really count."

"Che." Lilinette twitched, "Fine. You two wanna be all physical, I don't care. I'm gonna go eat something." She turned and stormed out.

"Did you have to piss her off?" Stark chuckled, rubbing my stomach, "You know I'm the one who has to deal with her when she's like that…"

I shrugged, rolling over and smiling, "Aww, but you know you love to…" He rolled his eyes and I grabbed his neck, pulling him down into a kiss he returned. I shuddered when he slipped a hand under my shirt, one gloved finger trailing up and down my side.

We both smirked at the sudden increase in a nearby reiatsu that was distinctly Szayel.

Instead of me following Szayel around, Szayel had started following me around when he realized I had given up. The tables had turned…

And it was abso-fuckin'-lutely hi-fuckin'-larious.

Seriously, I was getting a kick out of this.

And didn't I have every right to?

Even if he didn't love me, Szayel had bound himself to me with this monogamous life-mate shit, and he hadn't said a single fucking word. Instead, he'd left me to wonder, to pine, to get so fuckin' depressed over this that I made myself physically sick.

No.

Fuck him.

He was going to pay for his.

I pulled Stark closer, deepening the kiss.

Szayel was going to pay, and I was going to make sure of that.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stark asked as we walked down the hall, tightening his grip on my waist slightly. "Even after what I told you…"

"Don't speak so loudly; he could be listening." I sighed, "And it is because of what you told me that I am doing this. Szayel may still have his doubts that you and I are sleeping together, so let's banish those completely. I'm spending the night in your room, unless you oppose."

"…No." Stark sighed, "I don't mind."

"Your room is completely unmonitored." I went on, waiting until he opened the door for me to walk in, "I've checked. He's watching us walk in, but once the door closes…" I smirked as Stark shut the door, "He's in the dark."

Stark sniffed, walking by and smirking, "Conniving bitch."

I glanced at him, "You gave me this idea."

"I know…" He glanced back, "Bed?"

I nodded, "Bed." I waited until he was laying down to follow suit, curling up against him and sighing happily in his arms.

I may love Szayel, but Stark is undeniably a much calmer sleeper and much better sleep buddy.

Regardless, I couldn't wait for Szayel in I to be back in our bed. Together.

…Fuck, that was so corny.


	37. XXXVII Long Story Short, Szayel Sucks

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Mom, what are you doing?" Vicenta asked, glaring at me flatly.

I blinked at her from my place in Stark's arms, tilting my head, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" She hissed from her place at Grimmjow's side, her glare intensifying, "What are you doing with Stark?!"

I sighed heavily, "I do hope you're asking your father the same question about his little Thunderthighs."

Vicenta rolled her eyes, "I tried that, but you know Dad isn't exactly forthcoming. You are, though…"

I shrugged, leaning into Stark's chest, "I love Stark."

"That's a load of bullshit." Vicenta hissed, eyes narrowing. "You love Dad. I know you do. And Dad loves you… what the fuck are you two doing?! This is the fucking stupidest thing I've ever seen either of you do, and I remember the Wormhole incident…"

"Vicenta, don't worry about it." I shrugged, "Your father and I are just fine, okay?"

Vicenta tensed, standing, "Fine. You know what? Fine. I don't give a flying fuck anymore. You two want to be a bunch of stupid, immature bitches about this? Feel free. I don't have to take it." She turned and stormed off, a chuckling Grimmjow following close behind.

I sighed heavily, turning and curling up against Stark's chest.

"…Was that really such a good idea?"

"Having her pissed at me is a lot better than telling her the truth…" I mumbled, shivering as he slipped a hand under the covers and started rubbing my side, "A lot less damaging that way…"

"But will you be able to repair her relationship with you later?" Stark yawned widely, slumping back and leaving his hand on my side.

"Oh, yeah." I nodded, arching and yawning. "She's not actually _mad_ mad at me, she's just pissed. She'll get over it pretty quickly…" I curled up again, nestling down against his chest and closing my eyes.

We both groaned when someone knocked on the door.

"Go… away…" I called, groaning when the door opened. When I saw who it was, I was awake almost immediately, though I made sure I didn't look it.

Szayel stepped through the doorway, his eyes immediately locking on Stark and I while Cirucci, hanging from his arm, looked around with a sneer.

And I guess I couldn't blame her… Stark was a slob.

"You need something?" I mumbled, yawning and pulling up the covers, "We were about to go back to sleep…"

"Of course you were…" Szayel muttered, looking around quickly before raising his voice to his normal speaking level. "I was wondering where you were… I needed your help with something in the lab last night but you weren't in your room."

What a crock of horseshit. Szayel never needed my help with anything in the lab.

"I was here…" I blinked, sitting up and holding the comforter against my chest, "With Stark. If you needed me, you should have asked beforehand…"

Stark slept topless, and I'd discarded both my top and my bra earlier when I'd thought Vicenta had been Szayel knocking on the door. We both still had our hakamas on, but who needed to know that?

"Do you need something now?" I went on as Szayel stared at both Stark and I with a distracted, dazed look.

He shook his head and blinked, the daze clearing a bit, "Huh?"

I quirked a brow, "I said did you need something now?"

"…No." Szayel shook his head. "Just wanted to confirm where you were… I apologize for the intrusion. We will be going now." He turned and stumbled out, dragging a protesting Cirucci behind him.

I smirked as the door shut, "Take that, you fucking prick…"

"Alright, you've had your fun." Stark rolled his eyes, yawning and pulling me back down. "Now go to sleep. Fucking with people's heads is very tiring…"

"You're just lazy…" I rolled my eyes, laying down and letting him tuck my head under his chin.

"Be that as it may…" Stark muttered, yawning, "It's sleep time…"

I hummed in agreement, closing my eyes.

* * *

"Alright, Szayel." I yawned, leaning against Stark as he leaned against the counter in Szayel's lab, falling asleep on his hand, the elbow of which was propped up on the countertop. I elbowed him slightly, looking back at Szayel as Stark snorted and woke up. "What do you want?"

"You're overdue for a physical…" Szayel glanced at Stark, "Will he be staying?"

I narrowed my eyes, glancing at Cirucci, "Will she?"

Szayel narrowed his eyes back, "Very well then." He handed me a medical gown, "You know the routine. Curtain is over there, wear nothing but the gown."

I nodded, grabbing the gown in one hand and Stark's chin in the other.

Stark smirked, rolling his eyes as I gave him a quick peck, then leaning in for another, longer kiss.

I smirked back and leaned in.

"…Ah-HEM." Szayel coughed loudly.

I waited a moment before pulling back, smiling at Stark before walking behind the curtain and stripping. When I came back out, then scene I was met with made it very hard not to burst into laughter.

Cirucci was hanging from Szayel's arm, rubbing up against him and touching him in… various places to try to get his attention. And while this pissed me off immensely, the fact that Szayel wasn't paying attention to Cirucci because he was too busy glaring at Stark certainly made up for it. Stark was staring right back at Szayel, one brow quirked slightly and an almost imperceptible smirk playing on his face.

"Okay," I interrupted the little battle of the eyes by yawning loudly, holding my arms over my head and stretching, "Same old, same old, Szayel? A few reflex tests, quick listening of the old ticker, quick blood pressure check?"

Szayel nodded, turning and readying his equipment, "For the initial, yes. Have a seat."

Sighing, I walked over to the table and hopped up onto the edge, holding out my arm as Szayel wrapped a length of bag nylon around it.

"…One-nineteen over seventy-eight… Tad high…" Szayel glanced at me, "Are you nervous?"

"No." I was. He was so close, and I could smell pomegranates…

I stared at the cloth-covered curve of his neck as he pressed close, wrapping his arm around my back and slipping a hand through the half-parted, barely laced back of my medical gown. His fingers brushed my skin as he pressed the head of a stethoscope to my back, his other hand pressing against my chest and gently forcing me to sit up.

I could feel my body reacting, skin heating at his touch and pulse racing.

Szayel glanced at me as he listened to my heart beat faster and faster, and I looked back at him through heavily lidded eyes, gaze smoldering. There was a faint, dull spark in Szayel's eyes, his pale cheeks taking the on slightest hint of red. He leaned in close, his eyes closing slightly…

"Ah-hem!"

Szayel recovered quickly, frowning, "Aporro, you have a rasp. Are you having problems breathing?"

"No…" He was right. I did still have a bit of a rasp… "My throat is just a bit raw."

"Is it?" He grabbed my head and tilted it back, holding up a penlight. "Open." He looked down as I did, eyes widening. "A _bit_ raw? Aporro, you're still bleeding. What happened?!"

"I was sick." I snapped pulling back and glaring at him, "Violently sick. I saw something that disgusted me so fucking deeply my body made me throw up until I was upchucking bile. Which, as you can imagine, was a bitch."

Szayel stared at me for a moment, then sighed and turned, walking over and opening a few cabinets above the sink. Cirucci, who was standing near the sink, reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist as he shifted through a few bottles, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye and making a show of slipping her hand into his jacket.

"Has Vicenta spoken to you lately?"

Cirucci froze and Szayel glanced back, blinking.

"Vicenta." I repeated, throwing Cirucci a look and saying pointedly, "Our daughter." I then faced Szayel again, "Has she told you about how things are going between her and Grimmjow?"

"Ah… no." Szayel shook his head, turning back and walking over with a bottle, "She hasn't said a word. Actually, I think she's making it a point for me _not_ to see them… Has she spoken to you?"

"I see them often enough…" I glanced at Cirucci, my heart singing.

Apparently, she didn't like being reminded of the fact that Szayel and I had a child together. Why she was even chasing Szayel when she knew this struck me stupid… Maybe she didn't know how Vicenta was conceived… Or maybe she was just in denial.

"If you two will excuse us now." Szayel nodded to Cirucci and Stark, "We have the second part of the physical to perform."

Stark smirked slightly and turned, shooting me a sly look that I threw him a wry glare for. Pervert…

Cirucci, though, paused, frowning, "Do I really have to leave, Szay-Szay?" She pouted, sauntering over to him and throwing her arms around his neck, "It's not like she has anything I don't…"

It took all of my self-restraint to hold back a gag. "Szay-Szay"? What the fuck? Szayel _hated_ pet names…

"I am aware of that, Cirucci, but really, you have to leave for a moment." Szayel said gently, taking her by the shoulders and rubbing. "It's not for you, dear. It's for her…"

Cirucci threw me a look, then sighed heavily and turned, stomping out.

I glared after her, "How in the _fuck_ can you stand being around her?"

"Oh, I don't know." Szayel threw me a look, handing me a pill, "How can you stand being around Stark?"

I rolled my eyes, popping the pull and chasing it with the liquid in the beaker he handed me, "Now, come on, Szay. You know Stark isn't bad in the least…" I sneered, "Not like Thunderthighs."

Szayel quirked a brow, "It's Thunder_witch_."

"Oh, Thunderbitch? I think I liked that one better."

Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose, unable to hold back a smirk, "You are rather creative, aren't you?"

"Only if the name is practically begging for it. Like that whore's… or Grimmjow's. Listen to this!" I cleared my throat, grinning, "Jaegerjackass."

Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose harder, snickering. "Aporro…"

"…I miss you…"

He paused, turning towards me and blinking, "Apo—" He was cut off rather violently.

I grabbed Szayel and pulling him close, wrapping my legs around his waist and fisting my hand in his hair. I was met with no resistance as I jerked his head back, kissing him deeply.

Szayel jerked, then groaned and grabbed my sides, digging his fingers in and making me hiss. His hands then slipped down, grabbing my thighs and forcing my legs down from his back and onto the table.

Whining as he stroked up and down my thighs, I loosened my hold of his hair and grabbed his face with both hands, gasping and snapping my eyes wide open when he slipped a finger into my waiting heat.

"Sz-Szayel…"

"Aporro…" He rasped, sliding out and slipping in a second finger. "Ah… Aporro…"

"Szayel?! Are you two done _yet_?!"

Szayel froze, then pushed away from me quickly.

I watched with wide eyes as he walked over to the sink quickly, discarding his wet and soiled glove. "Szayel, what are you doing?"

"Cirucci is coming…" He muttered, pulling out another glove.

"Wh-what the fuck does it matter?!" I stood, bracing back as my knees buckled slightly, "Szayel, you don't give a damn about that slut!"

"I am with her right now."

"No you're not! You think I don't know?! Stark told me everything!"

Szayel froze.

I stared at his back, panting, "Or… or was Stark lying? Did you not… choose me… as your life-mate…? We have a child together… And what we just—"

"Szayeeeeel!!"

"No, Aporro… Stark wasn't lying. Arrancar do mate for life with the one they choose to reproduce with…"

"Then why the fuck are you doing this to me?"

He didn't answer.

"…Is it because… what, are you ashamed of me? Afraid of making a commitment? Am I a mistake?! FUCK, Szayel, tell me so I know what the fuck I'm doing wrong! Tell me why the FUCK Szayel Aporro Grantz won't take fucking responsibility for the first goddamned time since I've known him!"

This was all happening so goddamned fast I couldn't make heads or tails of it… I was getting so fucking nauseated…

Then Cirucci was in the room, tapping her foot impatiently, "What is taking so long?!"

"Fuck off, whore." She started to scream at me but I ignored her, storming over to Szayel and hissing, "You know what? This whole time this fucking drama, this goddamned soap opera has been going on, I thought I was losing you. And it made me sick… But now, I've had it. I'm not losing you. You're losing me. Until you make your goddamned mind, I don't want you. Until you decide to man up, don't you dare come near me again." I turned and stormed out.

* * *

Back in my room, I was pacing.

"What did I do, Stark? Where did I fuck up? Why the fuck won't he leave her?"

Stark sighed heavily and yawned, "Szayel tends to do stupid things when he's confused…"

"Confused?!" I turned to him, "Are you kidding?! What the hell does he have to be confused about?!"

"Having an Arrancar life-mate is one thing." Stark shrugged, "Having a human one? Completely different. Besides…" He shrugged again, "I highly doubt he ever seriously took the time to stop and think about it."

"What is there to think about?!"

Stark sighed, rolling over, "Give him time."

I stared at Stark, sighing when he started snoring, "I don't have time…" And I didn't. Not compared to what these Arrancar had…

I was sick of this.

I needed to get out.

I left the room, heading for the front of the complex. A quick walk around the complex under the desert sky wouldn't do any harm.


	38. XXXVIII Captured

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I hate the desert.

I abso-fuckin'-lutely hate the desert.

The desert can kiss my ass.

You wanna know why? Because every thing in the desert LOOKS. THE. SAME!!

FUCK!!

I thought where the complex was was a pretty special area; a semi-spherical hollow in the sand. Fairly shallow in comparison to the size of some dunes, but still deep enough that if you stood in the bottom you couldn't see over the edge.

But fuck no, it wasn't distinct enough!! As soon as I stepped out of the bowl and walked over a few dunes, I got lost!!

Goddamn me and my bad sense of direction… And fuck this desert!

Ugh… well, at least this time I wasn't pregnant and I remembered to grab my practice blade…

Sighing, I stopped walking and looked around, trying to reorient myself.

Way, way, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to my right was what was left of Las Noches… and I say 'what was left' because even from where I was I could see someone had torn it to shit. And while I could have used Las Noches before to guide myself back to where I needed to be… this time I didn't remember where in relation to Las Noches that place was.

I was completely and totally lost…

"Well, fuck."

* * *

Goddamn it, I was starving.

I have no idea how long I'd been lost, but it was long enough to make me absolutely ravenous.

A few times I entertained the thought of taking a nibble out of one of the Hollows, but they just flat out avoided me now. I think all of the mess with the war had them pretty fucked up.

And I couldn't sense my way back, either… Where once before my circle of sense was only about five to ten feet large, now it was a good thirty to forty feet, something I was very proud of.

Unfortunately, that was where it ended; of course, I could sense others waaaaaaaay outside of my bubble if they were powerful enough, but I couldn't tell who they were. I could only identify them if they were _in_ my bubble.

I could sense huge energies _everywhere_; most of them where by Las Noches, a fair-sized group was right in front of me, and another fair-sized group was at my five o'clock. And, of course, I wouldn't be able to sense Szayel and the others anyway; the complex was underground and had a shield around it that blocked others from sensing it.

Son of a bitch…

I went to turn back to follow my footsteps as far back as I could, only to stop and blink when I saw that they were gone.

…Double son of a bitch.

…Well, there was always one thing I could do.

Sighing, I untied my blade from my side and sat, laying it across my lap and waiting.

Eventually, someone would come looking for me, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if either Szayel or Stark found me. And if I wanted to help them out, then not moving any more than I had would be a good idea.

I stared off into the distance, waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

Waiting…

……fuck this……

I took a leaf out of Stark's book and fell over, falling asleep.

* * *

I was woken up both by mutterings and the fact that my arms and legs were stinging. Frowning and coming back to consciousness a bit, I realized that my wrists and ankles were bound and bent behind my back, tied together.

…WHAT THE FUCK?!

"Is she actually Szayel Aporro Grantz? Pretty weak spiritual pressure… And wasn't he male?"

"Yeah… but… this one has… uh… you know… boobs…"

"Who the fuck cares if it has tits or not?! Can we kill it?! It's an Arrancar!"

"It certainly looks like one, but I have my doubts… Can you not feel it's spiritual pressure?"

"I say we tell General-Captain Yamamoto…"

"And I say somethin' this fuckin' small would be a waste of the old man's time."

…Aww, fuck. These weren't Arrancar… They were the damned shinigami.

"Please calm yourselves." A soft-spoken woman began, "She is awake…"

Then I was jerked up by rough hands, wincing and yelping, "Hey!" I blinked my eyes open as I was forced to kneel painfully on my knees and legs, staring at the people in front of me.

…Fuck… a shitload of captains, if those white jackets they had on were any indication.

A huge one with spiky hair and a eye patch smirked widely, looking me up and down before throwing a familiar redhead a look, "You're tellin' me you thought this bitch was a man?"

"He was a man." Renji grumbled, glaring at me with crossed arms, "I saw him without his jacket. He was flat chested." He then narrowed his eyes and addressed me, "You Szayel Aporro Grantz?"

"Yep, that'd be me." I replied listlessly, glaring at him flatly, "And you're still Renji Abarai, right? Where's Uryu?"

"You actually remembered our names?" Renji frowned.

"Naww." I twitched, "Because unlike you, I'm a complete and total dumbfuck who can't remember a single person's name." I winced when the people who had hauled me up tightened their grips on my shoulders, "FUCK!! LAY OFF!! THAT HURTS!!"

The others glanced at Renji, who stared at me in shock, "You're… nothing like the person I fought…"

"Ya don't say?" I hissed, wincing, "Well I don't feel much like staying in character… I'm too pissed at that pink-headed bastard right now."

"…So…" I turned towards the voice of the soft-spoken woman, lowering my head slightly to yet another captain with her hair braided down the front. "You are saying you are not this Szayel Aporro Grantz?"

I shrugged, "Close as you'll ever get without actually meeting the bastard. I'm one of his experiments." And that was all they were getting out of me about that. My actual position was none of their damned business.

The woman nodded, "I see… And where is Szayel Aporro Grantz now?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, "Excellent question. Bastard leaves me at one of his labs and tells me to wait, goes to fight some intruder shinigami and a Quincy, then never comes back." It's bad when lying comes this easy, isn't it?

"…Tell me," The woman smiled, "What was your purpose within Szayel Aporro Grantz's laboratories?"

"I was a breeder specimen, ma'am." I smiled back. Damn it if she wasn't the nicest person I'd met in a long time, and I wasn't about to be mean to her.

"You're not an Arrancar, are you?"

I blinked, balking slightly.

She smiled again, "Your reiatsu has no Hollow in it, and what Arrancar there is is… muddled. It is more human than anything."

I blinked again, frowning, "Master Szayel made me what I am, ma'am. I wouldn't know if I was or wasn't Arrancar… I'd always just assumed it."

"I see…"

I shifted, looking around.

The two who were holding me were a bald man with small, squarish red streaks at the top corners of his eyes and an effeminate man with jaw-length purple hair and what looked like feathers coming out of the eyelids of one of his eyes.

Then there was spiky, the pink-haired girl who had popped up on his shoulder, Renji, and now the braided woman… And I could still feel others nearby…

"Why are there so many captains in the desert?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Weedin' out your brothers, Arrancar." The bald one sneered, glaring at me.

I glared back, then turned to the woman, "Can I sleep? I've been wandering the desert for who knows how long and I haven't been doing too well…"

The woman nodded, smiling, "Yumichika, please cut the rope that connects her hands to her feet."

Feather-face nodded, reaching down and snipping the rope quickly. My wrists and ankles were still bound, but they weren't connected and I was able to stretch out.

"Thank you…" I nodded to the woman, then paused, "Can I ask one more question?"

"Of course…"

"What's going to happen to me?"

Her smile faltered. "…I cannot answer that question at this moment…"

I sighed. "Of course not…" Nodding, I laid down on my side and curled up.

* * *

"…Tell me, dear, what do they call you?" The woman, Unohana, asked.

"Aporro…" I muttered between mouthfuls of hakata-men, curry, uni, and sake. Yes, a wide variety of food, I know. But, damn it, I was hungry…

"…As in, Grantz's middle name?" Renji quirked a brow.

"Yeah…" I paused, downing another saucer-cup of sake before going on, "He already knows how to spell it, it's easy to say, and he doesn't have to worry about being original. Besides, I like it."

"What can you tell us about the palace Las Noches?" A newcomer since before my nap, some pretty boy captain with long black hair and a silky off-white scarf, Kuchiki, began. "How many structures are there and where are they located?"

I shrugged, downing the last of the broth in the bowl of hakata-men before speaking, "Other than the main palace and Szayel's labs, I don't know of many… And all of Szayel's labs are gone. You guys hear that explosion a few months ago?"

"There were a bunch of them at one time." Spiky, Zaraki, grunted, "Which one?"

"All of them." I nodded, downing more sake, "Szayel had quite a few labs. He blew them all up when you all took Las Noches… I barely got out of the one I was in in time."

"How did you survive out there for so long?" Renji frowned. "I mean, you're starving…"

I looked up at him flatly, pouring more sake, "I did things I am not proud of. Just know that to Arrancar, Hollows are edible…" I downed the sake.

Thank god this wasn't an interrogation, because I wasn't sure if I could lie consistently without stopping to give this story more thought…

As I tore into the uni, Renji made a face, "Do you know what that is?!"

I paused, staring at him, "…Uni. Sea urchin…"

"How can you stand it?!"

I shrugged, "I like it." I ate some more.

"…Dear, there's something you should know…"

I looked up at Unohana, blinking and wiping my mouth, "Ma'am?"

She sighed, "The Octava… Szayel Aporro is dead."

Even though I knew she was wrong, I froze, my blood running cold. I hated hearing that… Hated how sure she was. Hated that brief flash of doubt that he was alive… What if they'd been found? What if…

"A-… Are you sure?" I choked.

She nodded, "Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi killed him several months ago…"

Ah. And now the doubt and fear was gone. The others hadn't been found; clearly Kurotsuchi just wasn't telling his comrades the truth…

"I-I see…" I looked down at my lap, "…I am going to be killed, aren't I?"

"What were you expecting?!" Renji shouted, standing, "You're an Arrancar! Even if it is muddled like Captain Unohana said, you're a monster!"

"What did I ever do to you?!" I shouted back, standing and glaring, "Nothing! I've never done anything, you stupid fuck! And I've never, ever killed even a single human! I'm a victim of circumstance, damn it! You think I wanted to be like this?!" When he drew Zabimaru, I balked and glared, hissing, "I am not a monster…"

"Renji." Kuchiki narrowed his eyes at the redhead, "That is enough."

Renji sheathed his sword immediately, looking down at his feet guiltily, "Forgive me, Captain Kuchiki…"

"Arrancar…" Kuchiki turned to me next, "Sit. We will have our commander decide what to do with you when we are finished with our mission."

I sighed but nodded, flopping down.

There really was no reason to disobey, and I had no way to escape. Not while I was surrounded by all of these captains… I'd just have to wait until someone came to save me.

The thought of dying never really crossed my mind… I knew I wouldn't die.

Szayel wouldn't let me die; like he'd said so many times, my life was his.

He was probably already looking for me… hell, he might have already pinpointed me. For all I knew, he could be nearby, concealing his presence and biding his time.

As pissed off as I was at Szayel, I trusted him to save me… or to at least come up with a plan.

Of course… go figure the plan would be…

"Hey, Mom! I'm here to save you!"

……Fuck……


	39. XXXIX Vicenta is a Bad Captive

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Vicenta!" I hissed, looking around to make sure none of the shinigami were nearby, "What are you doing here?!"

"Daddy sent me." She hissed back, looking around, "Where are those shinigami bastards who captured you?! I'll kill them!"

"Your father sent you?!"

I AM GOING TO KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!! SENDING OUR FIVE-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER TO SAVE ME?! WHEN I SEE HIM AGAIN, I'M GOING TO RIP OUT HIS FUCKING ENTRAILS AND FORCE-FEED THEM TO HIM THROUGH A LIME GREEN CRAZY STRAW!!

FUCK!!

SHIT!!

DAMN IT!!

I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD!!

"Centa, get out of here before they catch you!" I rasped, curling up as much as I could, as slowly as I could without attracting attention and blocking her from view.

Usually, the image of Vicenta randomly popping her head out of the sand, declaring that she would save me from the evil shinigami with every iota of stubborn seriousness her little body could handle would have made me laugh my ass off.

Now, though… Now I was scared shitless.

While the shinigami may have their doubts about what they'd want to do with me, Vicenta was undoubtedly Arrancar according to her spiritual pressure (the Arrancar in her trumped the human in her), and they would…

Dear god…

They would kill her…

"Vicenta, get out of here!"

"No!" She hissed, "Now roll over so I can get your hands and feet free!"

"Shut up! Keep yourself calm or your seal on your reiatsu will slip!"

Vicenta paused, took a deep breath, then said, "Mom, listen to me; Dad, Stark and Grimmjow are nearby. They sent me because I have the weakest reiatsu and I won't be detected as easily. I'm going to untie you and then we're going to slip out of here when they're distracted. After that, we can all sonido back home."

"Cen—"

"Mom, I'm not leaving without you!" Dear god… she had tears in her eyes, "Please, turn over so I can free you!"

I swallowed my protests, nodding, then turned over.

I kept an eye out as best I could, but beyond all of the tears and sand that wasn't a very good job… She'd barely gotten my feet free when—

"Hey, Kenny, look! A little Arrancar!"

"Vicenta, run!"

I rolled over, pressing her down into the sand, but a large hand grabbed me by the front of my shirt and hefted me into the air, the other hand going down to grab Vicenta but missing as she sonidoed out of the way. Then I was dropped, and by the time I got up we were surrounded by captains and their lackeys, Vicenta caught dead center.

She looked around, eyes darting, and went to jump, but before she could she caught sight of Kuchiki drawing his zanpakuto and froze.

"Mom!" Vicenta turned to me, panicking.

"Vicenta!" I went to run at her but Zaraki's large hand grabbed me. "Zanpakuto! Now!"

I could tell she was focusing completely on what I was saying, ready to obey any command I shouted at her, because she didn't question me at all. Vicenta drew her blade immediately, "Whip, Gavilan Pintado!"

I closed my eyes against the whirlwind of sand that was brought about by her increase in power, the opened my eyes again and looked at her, "Now get out of here! Now! And don't come back!"

This order, though, she didn't obey. "NO!" She lunged at the shinigami who was holding me.

Now, I'd like to say I know quite a bit about Vicenta's zanpakuto and her limits. After all, I had been the one who had played the largest role in her training, and even when she couldn't fight me full-force I had seen her go all out, so I knew what she was capable of.

Or at least… I thought I had…

Who knew that training with Grimmjow would change her abilities so drastically?

"Escozor veneno!"

I looked up at Vicenta struck down, the tip of her rapier glowing dark blue briefly before it slipped into Zaraki's skin of the upper right-hand section of his chest, next to his shoulder.

When Vicenta tried to pull her sword out, though, he clenched the muscles and grinned, "You ain't goin' anywhere, girly."

Vicenta's amber eyes widened and, on instinct, she raised her hand and pointed her palm at his face, quickly charging and dispelling a cero.

It hardly affected him… Zaraki kept his eye wide open and took it, grinning insanely.

Then Vicenta was barreling backwards into the sand, the bald man and feather-face pinning her, baldy with his zanpakuto to her neck.

"No!" I flailed, "Please, don't kill her! PLEASE!!"

"Ikkaku, do not kill the child…"

Baldy groaned, easing up on his blade but not removing it.

I winced when Zaraki's large hand moved beside me, looking up and watching as he pulled Vicenta's zanpakuto out of his shoulder. "Brat actually managed to stab me…" As soon as the tip of the blade left his flesh, the skin around the wound turned puffy and red, the small vessels near it turning green… "Poison? Fuck…"

"Miss Aporro…"

Turning back quickly, I sighed when I saw Unohana kneeling and taking hold of Vicenta. As the woman helped her up, she looked up at me.

"Is this girl really your child?"

I nodded quickly, seeing this captain as my only hope for making sure Vicenta survived, "She is. Please don't kill her… She… she panicked. She does dumb things when she panics…"

Unohana nodded, walking forward slowly and carefully taking Vicenta's rapier from Zaraki, looking it over. She then turned back to Vicenta and pinned her with a stare, "What are the effects of your zanpakuto's poison?"

Vicenta looked at me, stammering when I nodded, "I-I don't really know… I've never actually used it… I… I think it'll numb his arm and send a shock through his system… and it'll eat away at his reiatsu… I-… it depends on how strong he is…"

Unohana nodded again, "Kenpachi, please release Miss Aporro and have a seat so I can look at your wound…"

Zaraki grunted but did as she asked, giving me the chance to run forward and pull Vicenta into my arms.

"You idiot…" I rasped, hugging tightly, "You should have ran… I told you to run, damn it…"

"'m sorry, Mom…" She mumbled, shaking, "I… I couldn't…"

"I know, hon…" I buried my face into her hair, fighting the burning of tears, "I know…"

"Alright, alright, enough of that emotional crap!" Baldy sneered, waving at us, "You'll start to make us feel sorry for you… Just sit down and shut up so we can get this shit sorted out."

I sighed, recovering and sitting. When Vicenta sat beside me, I glanced at her, "Well… not too bad for your first rescue mission. Just so you know, though, you're not supposed to get caught with me…"

Vicenta threw me a glare, unable to hold back a slight smirk, "Shut up, Mom."

I smirked, "You're grounded."

She punched me.

* * *

After a bit of prompting and filling in, Vicenta got the idea not to let on that we knew of other survivors or that we knew Szayel wasn't really dead. No need to give the shinigami any information that would help them… And we both got along fairly well with our captors, though Vicenta was a bit uncomfortable not having her zanpakuto at her side.

…That, and I think she had a natural, instinctual hate for shinigami.

"Stay the fuck away from us." She hissed, eyes narrowing and body tensing as Renji walked over to us.

Renji quirked a brow, holding up her sword and waving it slightly, "I'm just here to watch you two, kid."

"Fuck you. And give Gavilan Pintado back!"

Renji glared at her, "Why don't you be a good girl and shut up?"

I glared at him, "Why don't you fuck off." I then poked Vicenta in the side, "And you shut up. You're gonna get us in trouble…"

She huffed in response, looking away and crossing her arms, wincing when Renji sat down in front of us and held Gavilan Pintado in his lap.

Vicenta snarled and tensed as if to lunge at him, resulting in me reaching out and smacking her upside the head.

"Owwww!!" Vicenta whined, rubbing her head and glaring at me, "Moooooooom!!"

"Be nice to our captors." I sighed.

She stared at me, blinking, "…I must be hallucinating, because I could have sworn you just told me to be a good captive…"

I stared at her flatly, "Vicenta, be a good captive."

"…Yep, that's what I was afraid you'd said."

"I mean it."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't make me ground you again."

"As soon as I get Gavilan Pintado back, I'm smacking you with it."

"Two weeks."

"…damn it…"

* * *

There are two kinds of captives in the world; good ones and bad ones.

Turns out I was a good one and Vicenta was a bad one.

How do you be a good/bad captive, you ask? Well, allow me to demonstrate…

Good captive:

"Here you are, Miss Aporro. Please do eat up; we want to get you back in good health after the time you had out in the desert."

I smiled, "Thank you, Captain Unohana." I dug in.

Bad captive:

Yumichika sighed heavily, "Here you are, miss. Eat up."

"Fuck you! Get the fuck away from me you fucking shinigami!" Vicenta lunged.

"Ow!! Hey, don't pull on my hair!! Ow, ow, shit! Ikkaku! Get this mangy brat off of my back! Oo, that's it! Bakudo one, Sai!"

"Gay-ass bastard!"

Now, you may be wondering why I was being so cooperative… Well, the answer is simple; they are feeding me. If they hadn't been feeding me, I would have been unruly.

…Alright, so it's more than that. It's also because I know that Szayel, Stark and Grimmjow are nearby, biding their time and waiting for a good opportunity to save us both without causing disarray and without getting Vicenta and I harmed…

Okay, so maybe not Grimmjow. The only thing that was holding him back was Szayel and Stark telling him horror stories about what would happen to Vicenta if they just charged in, I'm sure.

And why was Vicenta being such a brat? The answer to that was even simpler; I think Arrancar have a natural hatred of shinigami, and I think the irrational human blood in her makes it impossible for her to conceal that hatred.

Even so, the shinigami didn't seem to be too bothered by her attitude… probably because it was both natural and they knew she was young.

…Of course, even I found it impossible to contain my anger and hatred when a certain someone showed up…

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhh…" Mayuri Kurotsuchi grinned, golden teeth flashing as his yellow eyes scanned me, "So good to see you again, Body Double."

I tensed, glaring at hissing, "Kurotsuchi…" I paused, then frowned, "How long have you known?"

Mayuri snickered, "Since we first fought, or did you honestly think that the little charade you and your Espada master cooked up fooled me?"

I snarled and the other captains looked between us, Unohana blinking curiously, "Mayuri?"

"Nothing, Retsu, nothing." Mayuri assured with a grin at her and a sharp glance at me, turning and speaking to Nemu, who I was shocked to see was actually alive.

Hadn't I—

"Safe travels, Byakuya. Renji." Unohana nodded as the captain and his lieutenant prepared to leave.

…Aww, fuck. Kuchiki and Kurotsuchi were trading posts…

Brilliant. Just _fucking_ brilliant.

SZAYEL, YOU HAD BETTER GET ME OUT OF HERE QUICKLY!!

* * *

"Body Double," Mayuri began slyly, grinning at me as we all gathered to eat, "Why don't you come sit with Nemu and I? We would _love_ to hear about how you have been doing. It's been a while since we last spoke…"

"Fuck you, Kurotsuchi." I hissed, shrinking back behind Unohana but puffing up so I could shield Vicenta.

The scientist, though, didn't fail to notice this, and his eyes locked onto her. "Aaaaaaah, your offspring? You have nothing to worry about, I assure you. As soon as I get permission from the General-Captain to have you both turned over to my laboratories, you both will receive the best care… as is only fit for my most precious of specimens…"

I narrowed my eyes and snarled, drawing closer to Vicenta as my anger built. She shuddered as my reiatsu flared and shrunk down.

Mayuri just grinned, "Such an interesting topic, Arrancar breeding… So rare in nature. Tell me, how long was the gestation period?"

"Please, Mayuri." Unohana sighed, setting her tea aside and glancing at him, "Not while we are eating."

"Ah, forgive my deplorable manners, Retsu." Mayuri nodded, turning back to his meal, "I'm afraid I do have problems distinguishing between life and work… No more tonight, though."

"Thank you." Unohana picked up her tea again, sipping.

I didn't get any sleep that evening… I stayed up until the other captains started moving, keeping a close eye on the 'sleeping' bulk of Mayuri.

And it was a good thing… Several times during the night, I caught a flash of two golden orbs staring right at me from that bulk.


	40. XL Catfight

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Now, then, if you will please release your zanpakuto…"

Vicenta glared at Mayuri, sneering. She then glanced at me, waiting for approval, then snatched her zanpakuto from Ikkaku as he handed it to her.

"Whip, Gavilan Pintado."

Mayuri watched the transformation closely, blinking when Vicenta stood before him stationary, the only difference in her being her power level. "No physical changes for Resurreccion?" When she didn't answer, he glanced at me.

Sighing, I shook my head, "Vicenta has no original Hollow form."

Mayuri blinked, then nodded and scribbled something down on his clipboard. He really is quite like Szayel in some aspects… "I see… Interesting. Resurreccion actually requires an Arrancar to have once been a Hollow in order for the transformation to work as we have come to recognize it…" He looked up at me, pausing, "But there is an increase in her stats."

I nodded. "Gavilan pintado… the Spanish name for the _Aetobatus narinari_… the Spotted Eagle Ray."

The scientist nodded, turning back to his clipboard and writing, glancing up at Vicenta periodically, "A bonnet ray, not the fastest or the largest but distinguished by the white, circular spots that cover its back and its long _whip_-like tail. Usually docile, they do have up to six spines in their tail, and while the poison is not dangerous if it is injected in limbs or lesser areas, if it does get into major organs it is more often than not fatal…"

Vicenta soaked all of this in, eyes wide. I don't think she had ever really researched her zanpakuto that much beyond finding out just what the name meant.

"Now," Mayuri stood, holding out his arm, "It is my understanding that your zanpakuto has a poisonous ability. Stab my arm using this ability."

Vicenta paused, looking at me.

Barely, I jerked my head. Letting him see that ability would be a bad idea… that, and him wanting her to stab him directly meant he was trying to collect a sample.

"I…" Vicenta shifted, looking down at her feet, "I can't… I can only use it once a day…"

Mayuri sighed, tilting his head slightly and putting on a mock-sorrowful face, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Even if you don't, she says it's true." I grumbled, glaring at him when he narrowed his eyes at me, "And you have no authority to make us."

He twitched, sniffing, "Presumptuous for a captive, aren't you?"

"You weren't the one who found us." I went out on a limb, though I was pretty sure of what I was talking about, "You weren't even here. We aren't part of your custody…"

"That is actually correct, Mayuri."

I jumped, yelping and turning.

Unohana smiled, "Hello, Miss Aporro." She then returned to addressing Mayuri, "They both are under my custody. If they do not wish to cooperate, you have no authority to force them. Now, before we start fighting, Miss Aporro, Miss Vicenta, please come with me."

Vicenta resealed her zanpakuto immediately, following on my heels as I turned and followed the female captain back to the main encampment, blinking when I saw them packing up what few materials they had.

"Wha…"

"Our mission in this sector is complete." Unohana said, kneeling and tying up a bag of her medical supplies, "We are preparing to head back to Las Noches for reassignment." She glanced back at us, "Also, while we are there you will be turned over to a group of shinigami who will take you back to their captain stationed in the Seireitei. There, you will be placed into holding cells, and you will remain there until your case can be brought before the Captain-Commander."

Though I nodded calmly, I panicked inside.

This was not good… As soon as we got within the vicinity of Las Noches, it wouldn't be safe for a rescue mission anymore…

As soon as we got in the vicinity of Las Noches, I could not, in any clear conscience, let Szayel, Stark and Grimmjow save Vicenta and I.

I mean, of course I would try to help Vicenta escape, but… if it got down to it, I would have to chase them off. I wouldn't be able to let them get close enough to get caught.

No matter how powerful they were, they were in no condition to fight this many shinigami captains.

I would… I would have to make them abandon me…

Sighing, I looked out over the sands.

No… I can't let them get caught.

* * *

"Vicenta…" I muttered as we walked, "I'm going to make a ruckus… When they're distracted, I want you to run."

"What?!" She hissed, staring up at me with wide, angry eyes, "What are you talking about?!"

"As soon as we get to Las Noches, escape is impossible." I sighed, facing ahead, "We can drag your dad and the others into this without getting them into a fight and possibly caught, and both of us can't escape at one time… I want you to run."

"Fuck n—"

"Vicenta!" I glared down at her, "Unlike me, you actually have Arrancar in you! As soon as they do a proper screening on me, they'll see what little Arrancar is me is artificial. I have a better chance of living than you do!"

"But they'll kill you for helping me escape, anyway!" She nearly spoke at a normal level, making me jab her hard with my elbow. "Mom, I'm staying with you…"

"I'm your fucking mother and I'm telling you to leave."

"And I'm your fucking daughter and I'm asking if you really think I'm so unlike you that I'll listen?!"

I twitched, sighing. She was right. If anything, she'd stay to spite me. Little brat…

"Fine… we'll both make a distraction, split in the direction the others are in, and hope they can sonido us out of here quickly enough."

"Much better." Vicenta sighed.

"…What do you suppose would be a good distraction?"

…Alright, so here's the situation; you have Aporro, a human who has spent the last who knows how many years devoting her very existence to the dual purpose of seducing Szayel and making his life chaos and hell at the same time. You also have her daughter, who has thus far destroyed her father's computer systems countless times and has managed to give him the ulcer from hell by not just dating, but dating Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Can we make a distraction?

…Distraction is an understatement.

Separately, we can make hell on earth.

Together, we're more destructive than the horsemen of the Apocalypse. Loki sent Jormungandr to us to teach him the proper way to fuck up the world. Where we go is the battlefield of Armageddon, the Mount of Megiddo.

We are the harbingers of calamities.

You fuck with us, we fuck you up so bad _Relativity_ makes sense.

Get it?

Can we make a distraction?

Hell. Fucking. Yes.

"What's the plan?"

"It involves Yachiru, a cup, sake, and that energy drink Zaraki confiscated from her the other day…"

"…Hell. Fucking. Yes."

"I know, right?"

"Alright. Let's get to work."

* * *

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!" Yachiru cheered, zipping around and kicking up sand.

"WHO IN THE HELL GAVE HER THAT DAMNED ENERGY DRINK?!"

"Yachiru?! Yachiru, stop!!"

"LIEUTENANT!!"

"Kusajishi!!"

_BOOM!!_

Vicenta and I watched in mixed shock and exasperation as a small pink and black blur shot through the sand and towards Las Noches, blinking when there was an explosion, smoke, and when part of one of the walls of the building collapsed.

"…Mom?"

"…Yeah?"

"…Can we sear that we'll never dope up a child on energy drinks and sake _ever_ again?"

"…Yep, I think we can safely say we can."

Amidst the chaos, no one really noticed us slip off into the desert, and even if they did they didn't have any reason to care. Not with one of their lieutenants on the fritz and the two of us being a mediocre Arrancar of questionable descent and her daughter with the faulty Resurreccion.

The only ones who really would have cared would be the two Kurotsuchis, but Mayuri had already panicked and shot off when he saw the area Yachiru had blown up was near where he was keeping his specimens and equipment.

As soon as we crossed the first dune and were out of sight, Vicenta and I took off at as quickly as I would allow; I still wasn't nearly as fast as an Arrancar, even if they weren't using sonido.

After we'd run for about ten minutes, we stumbled to a halt as three forms flashed into existence in front of us… Well, I did. Vicenta kept going.

She ran forward and threw herself into Grimmjow's arms.

I looked away as they started a make-out session, rolling my eyes. First I looked at Stark, who had sighed heavily and looked away, as well. He saw me looking at him and shrugged, smirking slightly and rolling his eyes.

I threw him a grin, then looked at Szayel.

Instead of getting ready to interfere with Vicenta and Grimmjow like he normally would have, he was staring right at me, face blank.

I stared back, numb. I wanted… to say something. Something meaningful… Tell him that I hadn't run away, that it had been an accident. Tell him that the only thing that kept me from panicking was the thought that he would look for me, find me. Tell him that if we had gotten too close to Las Noches I would have wanted him to give up on trying to save me before he got caught…

I didn't say any of that, though. Instead, what came out of my mouth was, "Lost my practice blade… Sorry."

Szayel immediately shrugged, looking a tad confused and deflated, "I'll commission another…"

"There you are!"

I stiffened, narrowing my eyes when Cirucci appeared, flinging her arms around Szayel's neck and wailing. Why hadn't Vicenta mentioned she had come?!

"You left me behind, Szay-Szay! You're so mean…" She noticed me and sneered, purple eyes roaming up and down, "Oh… so you found her."

I looked away before I could say something, locking eyes with Vicenta, who had turned back when she'd heard Cirucci talk. She looked as shock and disgusted as I felt, and when our eyes met she shrugged. Apparently, adding Cirucci to the 'rescue party' had happened _after_ she had been sent to find me.

Fuckin' a…

"Can we start heading back now?" Cirucci sighed, "I don't want those shinigami to feel us out…"

"Oh, don't worry about that." Vicenta grinned while looking at me, eyes flashing when I grinned back, "They'll be busy for quite a while…"

"…What did you two do?" Szayel drawled after a moment, looking between us and quirking a brow.

I barely held back a shudder at hearing his voice. Fuck, I'd missed it so much…

Still… Skanky McSkank'n'heimer was hanging from his arm, so fuck that.

"Nothing." I answered Szayel, walking towards Stark and slipping into his arms, "Let's get back. I'm tired."

Stark smirked, rolling his eyes, "You really have been hanging around me for too long…" He then picked me up and nodded to the others, and I had to close my eyes as we sonidoed back…

Back home.

* * *

As soon as we were back, safe within the complex, I'd decided I'd had enough.

Clearly Szayel wasn't about to do shit about getting rid of Cirucci, so I was going to have to.

"Hey, Thunderthighs." I'd started, jumping out of Stark's arms as soon as she'd turned towards me, "We need to have a talk."

Cirucci glared at me, "Fuck of—"

I punched her in the jaw.

I may not be able to do shit against an Espada, a Captain, a Lieutenant, or a high seated shinigami officer, but sure as hell could take this bitch if I was pissed-off enough.

And, trust me, I was.

Of course, that isn't to say that she didn't have any bite.

Quite the opposite, actually.

"You bitch!"

I stumbled back, pressing my hand to my jaw and swearing when my glove was quickly soaked with blood.

"Whoa!"

"Mom!!"

"Cirucci! Aporro! Stop this!"

I ignored Szayel and drew his zanpakuto from his side, glaring at Cirucci, "Let's settle this in the training complex, shall we?"

Cirucci's eyes flashed, "Be prepared to die, human cunt."

We took off in the same direction, for once actually agreeing on something. We agreed to fight.

* * *

Lyke, ZOMG!! What is this?! One of the ever-elusive notes from Rayna?! WTF is up, mate?! ...Pardon me while I go kill myself for that little outburst. Before I go, though, I would like to note that I put up a little poll on my homepage... You don't have to vote, but I'd much appreciate it if you would. Really, I would! It'd make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... and, trust me, that is a rare occurrence for Rayna.


	41. XLI Claim

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"You actually think you can take me, human?!" Cirucci let out a shrieking laugh, winding up her yoyo zanpakuto.

"Hey, bitch, I may not be an Arrancar, but I have as many as several years of Szayel's best physical and spiritual enhancers affecting my performance!" I crouched, brandishing Fornicaras, "Bring it!"

"Go, Thunderwitch! Kill that human!!"

"You can do it, human!"

"Arrancar!"

"Human!"

"Aporro, stop this." Szayel hissed, standing beside me irately with his hand latched over mine onto the hilt of Fornicaras. "I forbid you to fight her…"

I glanced at him, "Szayel, when's the last time you were able to actually _forbid_ me from doing anything? Besides, you should be flattered two females are about to engage into a fight to the death over you… One would think your ego would love it."

"It does." Szayel narrowed his eyes, "And then I remember you are largely human and that this may well kill you."

"Awww!" I grinned, turning on him, "You're worried about me!" I lunged, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. I smirked at the cheers…

"Aporro…" Szayel sighed, "Don't do this…"

"Too late. I'm doing it." I pushed him away and turned back to Cirucci, grinning widely at the flushed, scandalized look on her face, "Lemme guess, you never got to lay ones on him like that and get away with it? Not surprising; took me months to build up to it."

"Really?" Cirucci quirked a brow, smirking wickedly and proceeding to circle me, "Well, I bet you two didn't even do _half_ of the things that _we_ did in the bed…"

"I'll take that bet." I grinned, circling back, "And I'll double it; I know for a fact that no only did _nothing_ happen, but I know we did things you can't even begin to _imagine_ in that bed. And you _slep_t in it, you stupid whore!" I laughed.

Cirucci snarled and lunged, swinging out her yoyo zanpakuto of doom…

Actually…

HOLY SHIT, THAT LOOKS PAINFUL!!

I bent backwards quickly, bracing both hands on the ground and pressing back down as the golden discus went flying over, a thick, red rope following. Holy shit…

Then the rope twitched and the whirring the discus made got louder, and it was all I could do to spin and roll out of the way as it came flying back.

"Fuck!" I jumped to my feet, spinning and facing Cirucci, watching as the discus curved up and flew over her head.

She reached up and grabbed the rope, jerking and spinning the discus around above her while letting the rope wrap around her arm. "Pretty limber, aren'tcha, human?" Cirucci tilted her head, letting the discus and rope fall lax. She swung them back and forth at her side, like a pendulum, "Though I did hear your back crack a few times from here…"

"Yeah…" I grimaced, twisting and re-popping my back in a few areas, "Human body ain't meant to bed that way…"

"Aww," Cirucci purred, making a pouty face, "Poor baby." She swung again.

…Okay, now that just flat out pissed me off.

I raised Fornicaras, glaring at Cirucci and smacking her discus aside when it was in range.

Cirucci blinked, then sneered and redirected her discus.

I smacked it aside again.

"So, tell me!" Cirucci began, swinging again and narrowing her eyes when I smacked it aside. "Just how strong are you?!"

I shrugged, "Not all that much, really." I smacked the yoyo aside, jumping back, "You have to fist take into account the fact that I'm using Fornicaras. After that, you also have to consider the fact that Szayel has taught me how to redirect my reiatsu to different parts of my body to act as a defense… And if I direct it into something I'm holding, that only strengthens the moves I make, right?"

Cirucci sniffed, leaping forward.

I closed my eyes and bit my tongue, forcing down bile as I zipped passed her and stopped behind her. I really, reeeaaally hate moving fast…

"What the hell?!" Cirucci screeched, looking back.

"Maybe…" I began slowly, staring at her dazedly, "You should consider the full effect of my words before you act, bitch." Fuck, I feel woozy… "I'm talking about spiritual particle acceleration, here, dumb-fuck. By forcing focused and energized particles into objects around me, I empower them. And what the fuck do you suppose happens when I do it with the ground beneath my feet?"

Cirucci narrowed her eyes. "…Something similar to sonido." She hissed, hand tightening on the hilt of her zanpakuto.

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! Someone give her the priiiiiiiiize!!" I glared, sneering, "How about the Super Stupid Bitch Award?" Fuck, I shouldn't have used that so soon!! It drains the shit out of me…

Cirucci twitched, then grinned wickedly, "So, it's a game of speed you want, is it? Fine. Rip Off, Golondrina!"

…I'm gonna take a wild stab and say that's her release…

I stared at the giant bird/moth thing in front of me as it grew.

…Well, shit. Now I was really fucked. Not that I stood much of a chance against her before with my anger fading, but damn it I wish she hadn't changed! Now I'm gonna die for sure…

"A game of speed, eh?! Tell me, how do you suppose a blade vibrating at one million times per second would taste?!"

A rather simple answer came to me and I blinked, tilting my head, "Like superheated blood?"

Cirucci twitched, "You… little… smart-ass!" One of her wings snapped forward, the blades on it shooting off.

"THOSE FUCKING THINGS ARE DETACHABLE?!" I turned and ran, screaming. "DIDN'T YOU FUCKING LOSE THOSE THINGS DURING YOUR FIGHT WITH THAT QUINCY BASTARD, ANYWAY?!"

"Didn't Szayel tell you?" Cirucci asked, reappearing before me and giggling, "He fixed that for me."

I froze, twitching, "…SZAYEL, IF I SURVIVE THIS I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!!"

Cirucci giggled again, then swung her wing forward.

I focused my reiatsu on Fornicaras and blocked, clamping my eyes shut and gritting my teeth as the block knocked me backwards, my feet digging grooves into the floor.

The speed and force of the vibrating blades, coupled with my severely lacking energy from using so much reiatsu for shielding and speedy movements, made my head throb and everything invert, turning red.

When the blades disappeared, retracting, I turned my head to the side and coughed up blood. I closed my eyes against the feeling of my body going numb, focusing on the iron tang in my mouth to keep myself awake.

_This wasn't good…_

"Gonna die, human?" Cirucci grinned, crouching, "Wanna give up before I really kill you?"

_Everything is fading…_

"…No…" I mumbled, opening my eyes again, "I don't think I do…" I dropped Fornicaras.

_Shit… I'm… passing out…_

Cirucci frowned, then blinked when I flashed in front of her, lunging.

_Have to… do something…_

I wrapped my arms around Cirucci's and pinned them to her sides, locking my legs around her waist. We both fell, Cirucci crashing with her back down and flailing.

"What in the hell are you doing?! Let me go!!"

"Fast as those blades are moving…" I muttered, everything spinning, "I bet they weight a ton, don't they? They make you so slow…" I locked my wrists, and that's all I was able to feel before I went numb…

"GET OFF!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU—" She gurgled.

I tasted blood in my mouth, and it wasn't mine… I'd bitten her…

The thought of hierro wasn't even a question; she was panicking and for the moment my will was stronger than hers.

She screamed and started flailing.

I let go for a moment, "Go ahead… fling your wings around. See if you don't cut yourself in half along with me…" I clamped back down on her throat.

She struggled.

She screamed.

She flung herself this way and that, and I felt my head knock against the floor hard, but… I felt no pain.

Just pressure that signified things I touched. And I could feel her legs between mine; I clenched my thighs tighter. I could feel her arms against my forearms, her back at my wrists; I grabbed my wrists and hugged tightly. I could feel her flesh giving way and the frayed edges touching my gums, her larynx and delicate Adam's apple against my tongue; I bit down harder.

And I wasn't about to let go.

Not even when she stopped moving.

Not even when she stopped screaming.

Not even when the blood flow that was practically gushing against my face and down my chest slowed dramatically.

Not even when hands grabbed and pulled, trying to separate her body from mine.

She had tried to take something from me… something I would never let anyone have.

I don't remember what it was, but it was mine and that was enough.

I'd never killed, but right now I wasn't even viewing this as killing…

I was reclaiming, restating what I owned.

And if this was the force I needed to exert to prove a point, then so be it.

* * *

It was an effort to peel my eyes open, and it was an effort that stung like a bitch.

My mouth was dry and glued shut, and when I peeled my lips apart and forced it open, there were a few stabs of pain along my lips as the stuck flesh tore and a renewed taste of blood. And not all of it was fresh… The blood at the back of my tongue was stale.

And it wasn't mine.

Don't ask how I can tell the difference between my blood and someone else's blood; Arrancar blood tastes like shit compared to humans.

"Ah, good. You're awake…"

I tensed, eyes snapping over towards the voice. I relaxed when I saw Szayel.

"Calm down…" He said slowly, pulling a penlight out of his pocket and flashing it across my eyes, "It's just me…"

"Where… is… she?" I rasped, voice cracking and throat painfully dry with the blood that caked it.

"Over there." Szayel nodded to my opposite side.

I looked, wincing.

Cirucci's neck was nothing but a giant, thick bundle of gauze and medical tape, and even through the tick layers that her neck had been encased in I could still see spots of blood forming… Then again, it was probably helped by the large bag of blood she was hooked up to that was pumping precious red life into her at a steady, fast rate.

"You nearly killed her, you know…" When I looked back at him, Szayel picked up a stream of paper covered in squiggly lines that was pouring slowly out of a machine near my bed, "You nearly killed both of you…"

"I kinda figured…" I winced when my voice cracked again. "Fuck…" I winced harder when I felt fresh, hot blood pouring down my throat.

"Here." Szayel held a cup up, directing a straw between my lips, "You know, Aporro, I don't think I've ever seen you fight with actual killing intent… Just what were you thinking?"

"Wasn't…" I rasped, "Not really… She tried… to take something… that was mine… I wanted it back…" I drank, closing my eyes and shuddering at the cold liquid that flooded my mouth and brought stinging, fresh relief.

"…Something that was yours, Aporro?"

I glanced at him, glaring and spitting out the straw, "You're mine… No one… gets you… but me…"

Szayel rolled his eyes, smirking slightly and turning back to his machines. "Regardless… never drain that much of your reiatsu again." He glanced at me, face blank, "I can only save you if there is reiatsu to work with, Aporro. If you drain that completely, there is nothing I can do…"

I nodded, closing my eyes, "I'll… keep that… in mind…"

"…Aporro…"

I blinked glancing at him.

Szayel stared down at his papers listlessly, "I had… no idea you had such an understanding of the way I taught you to use your reiatsu… Or that you could use those principles to create your own attacks…"

"I'm not… stupid, you… know…" I sighed, closing my eyes again, "Not really… an option when I'm… around you… Besides… being around you… makes me seem… dumber than… I really am…"

"Ah…" He paused, "You… did well…"

I grinned, "Thanks… So… are you ready… to quit being an ass… and invite me to come home?"

Szayel twitched, glancing and glaring at me slightly, "You're going to make me ask?" Don't think I didn't see that slight smirk, Szay…

"I'm not… making you do… anything…" I shrugged, "I can come home… or I can keep staying… with Stark…"

"No." Szayel glared at me flatly, "You're moving back in."

I smirked slightly, "…Good enough… I suppose…" I then glared back and him, "And if you… ever do that… to me again… I'll kick your ass…"

Szayel smirked, chuckling. "I'll keep that in mind…" He walked around my bed to Cirucci, looking over her charts and checking a few things off. "…Aporro…?"

"Hmm?" I was getting tired… I'd closed my eyes when he'd walked to Cirucci, wanting to get back to sleep. This had better be good…

"…You were right. I am… bound to you."

My eyes snapped open, but all I caught sight of was his back as he walked out of the room.

I stared after him, then closed my eyes again and went to sleep.

But, of course, I did have one last thought before I blacked out…

_**SCORE!!**_


	42. XLII Too Different

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Aporro…" Szayel growled, wrapping his arms around my waist and digging his fingers into my stomach lightly, "You're supposed to be in bed…"

I sighed heavily, reaching back and rubbing his hips, "Not again… we've been at it for seven hours. I'm tired…"

"I'm not talking about that, Aporro… You're still recovering from blood loss and severely drained reiatsu. You should be resting."

"Says the one who discharged me from the infirmary only to drag me back here so we could fuck like mad…" I glanced back, smirking, "And I gotta say, you don't do half bad on top…"

Szayel snorted, biting my neck, "Bed. Now."

I turned towards him, reaching down and rubbing his thigh, "Only if you come with me."

"I-I have work to do…" He shuddered, closing his eyes for a moment before sobering and standing straight, "Aporro, get in bed. I'll be back to check on you in an hour."

"Fine, fine…" I grumbled, staring after him as he walked into the bathroom. Sighing, I walked back to bed and laid down carefully, mindful of the few areas I'd been sliced by the speeding air of Cirucci's charged blades.

I hadn't even known I'd gotten them until Szayel told me… My nerves had been shot at how quickly the attacks had come, and the adrenalin made sure I didn't feel them.

They weren't fatal, but they were serious and deep… Szayel really is a genius to have figured out how to fuck me as hard as he could and never open a single one of them.

I watched the door to the bathroom, then followed Szayel when he walked out after a moment, clean and fully dressed, and walked to the door.

He threw me a look, "Rest, Aporro." He then walked out.

I waited a whole three minutes and forty-seven seconds before I got up, took a quick shower, dressed and walked out, heading in the opposite direction of his labs.

Like hell I was going to just lay around all day; Szayel may be paranoid, but I trust his medical expertise. I'd be fine, even if something opened.

Besides, it's not like I planned on doing anything strenuous… Just walking around.

"APORRO!"

I winced and went limp as a small body slammed into me, crying out when I slammed into the floor. Skin stretched and tore and small spots on my clothes were quickly soaked…

Fuck.

"Lilinette!" I groaned when the small body was pulled off of me, letting the hands that grabbed me a moment later gently guide me back to my feet. "Sorry, Aporro…" Stark winced, "She's not always conscious of just how fragile human bodies are… Especially when they've been wounded. Do you need me to take you to Szayel?"

"Naaah." I waved them off, smiling sheepishly, "I'm good. Szayel's got me on this coagulating shit that's supposed to automatically start working whenever a wound opens… Szayel knows I'm prone to do something stupid, so he's careful."

"Still…" Stark glared at his Fraccion.

Lilinette winced, facing me and lowering her head, "Sorry, Aporro…"

"Don't worry about it, squirt." I smirked, flicking the crown of her mask. I jumped back and snickered when she winced and lunged at me, snarling.

"Good to see you're still annoying." Lilinette sniffed, smirking.

I grinned, "Good to see you still don't really feel regret. Worried me when it looked like you apology might be sincere…" I blinked, turning my head, "You hear that?"

The former Espada and his Fraccion looked down the hall, blinking.

"Was that…" Lilinette began after a moment, "A doorbell?"

…And, oddly enough, it was.

When I went to discover the origin of the sound, I was stunned.

Szayel had installed a _fucking doorbell_ at the main entrance of the compound. What the fuck?! I mean, it made sense and all; it was the front door, and we lived here like it was a traditional, practical house, but still…

A doorbell?! Seriously?! What the hell?

Sighing, I went to check the security camera screen beside the keypad, wondering if it was an Arrancar who had, for some reason or another, gotten outside and locked out… or maybe it was more refugees…

I tapped the screen to bring it out of hibernation, freezing when the image came into focus.

Two tall men, one a brunette and the other having long, snowy-white hair. Brunette had on a straw hat and a pink haori decorated with floral designs. Whitey was very balanced in his dress and very traditional, but they both had one thing in common…

The white haori of shinigami captains.

Holy shit…

"Hello?" Brunette called, smiling straight into the camera, "Anyone there? Maybe nobody's home…"

"They may be ignoring us, Shunsui…"

Shunsui glanced at his partner, pouting, "Aww, but Jushiro, why would they do that? We aren't planning anything…"

Jushiro shrugged, "Perhaps not, but they aren't in any position to believe that…"

"…True." Shunsui blinked, nodding. He then looked back down into the camera and smiled again, "Hey, it's just the two of us, okay? No one knows we came out this far and we weren't followed. We just want to talk… Go ahead and have a look around if you don't believe us."

I paused, chewing my lip, then typed in a few codes onto the screen and split the view, looking at the other cameras. Normal view showed no figures, nothing on the infrared, nothing on the reiatsu sensor…

"We could always tell the others where you are if you don't want to let us in, you know." Shunsui sighed, "Though we'd really like to avoid forcing ourselves in…"

I fidgeted, considering calling Szayel for help. Chances are, though, he already knew about this and was on his way… or was about to know. And these guys would want a response quickly…

Cursing my shaking hands, I reached out and pressed the intercom button, "P-Please remove your zanpakuto…"

"Ah, a response!" Shunsui grinned.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that, Miss." Jushiro smiled, "We are in just as much danger here as you are…"

"I-I'm the only one at the door right now…" I stuttered, cursing myself and clenching my hand, "And I'm unarmed…"

The men blinked.

"Oh…" Shunsui rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, that does put you at a disadvantage, doesn't it? No need to worry, though; we'll keep them nice and where you can see them, okay?"

"And your draw speed is probably way faster than what my eyes could see…"

"Come on, now, be reasonable." Jushiro sighed, "Don't you think that if we wanted to force our way in we would have done it already?"

I considered this, then nodded and entered the code, turning to face the door as it opened. I kept one hand on the keypad, by the panic button, just in case…

They entered without a fuss and alone, like they had said. They were smiling as the door closed behind them, glancing back as the door mechanisms locked, reengaged the reiatsu sealants, and covered the door with sand.

"Nice system you have here, Miss." Shunsui nodded, looking around as he and Jushiro descended the stairwell. "Veeeeeeery well designed."

"It's not mine…" Damn it, when in the hell had I gotten so soft-spoken?! …Oh, right. When I was confronted by two captains whose essence was so strong I could feel it from fifteen feet away… that was when. "I just follow orders…" I paused, then shrugged, "Most of the time… Okay, sometimes…. Okay, about four percent of the time, but who's really counting?!" I laughed nervously, "Can I interest you in some tea?"

The two men exchanged glances, then smiled calmly.

"That would be wonderful, Miss…" Jushiro trailed off.

"Aporro…" I supplied, shifting, "And I'm sorry… I'm very nervous right now…"

"We could tell." Shunsui chuckled, "My name is Shunsui Kyoraku. I'm the captain of the Eighth Division of the Gotei 13. And this is my friend…"

"Jushiro Ukitake." Jushiro nodded, smiling, "Captain of the Thirteenth Division."

"Aporro." I nodded, "Experiment of the Octava Espada, Szayel Aporro Grantz."

"Espada." The captains' brows rose and they exchanged glances, Shunsui finishing slowly, "So, some of them did survive…"

I swallowed, lightheaded, "Let's… go have that tea now…"

* * *

One of the things Szayel had indulged me on was getting me a nice tea set. After tasting Aizen's brew that time I had 'played Espada', I couldn't resist.

So, as quickly as I could, I led the two captains down one of the smaller back halls to Szayel's room, got them comfortable in the sitting area, and started to brew tea.

"So…" I started, pouring the tea and sitting back, grabbing my own cup. "What brings you two out here? Not war, hopefully…"

The two captains muttered their thanks and took a sip.

"Unfortunately, it is somewhat related to the war…" Shunsui began, setting his tea down and staring at me seriously, "Who here leads you all?"

"No one." When they blinked, I shrugged, "There are a few simple rules everyone here has silently agreed to follow; former rank doesn't mean anything, you don't cause trouble, and you don't leave the complex. Going against the shinigami… that's pretty much an unspoken rule. You can't do it and not break the other rules."

"So… none of you are looking to fight?" Jushiro blinked, "Who all do you have here?"

I shrugged, "Four former Espada, namely the Primera, the Trecera, the Sexta and the Octava, several Fraccion, some former Privaron Espada, and a whole slew of lesser Arrancar. And no." I shook my head, "None of us want to fight. With Aizen gone, there's no reason. No one to force us."

They blinked, Shunsui looking down at my clothes, "Are you sure about that?"

I blinked, myself, looking down and laughing. He'd seen the bloodstains… "Oh, that? No, that's all good. I was sparring too hard recently and got pretty cut up. One of my friends got a little overzealous when she greeted me and opened a few of them."

I just realized something… This is the longest stretch I have ever gone without swearing in my speech! Holy shit! This is so fucking sweet! …Never mind. I think that just ended it…

I jumped, yelping when the door slammed open and who should run in but my dysfunctional family?

"Shinigami…" Grimmjow hissed, drawing Pantera. Beside him, Vicenta mirrored his actions, though slowly.

"Steady, Grimmjow…" Szayel muttered, eyes moving quickly to take in the whole scene before him. "We are still within the complex and Aporro is sitting with them…"

As usual, Stark was the least tense. He waved, "Hey, Kyoraku."

Shunsui nodded, "Stark."

Jushiro smiled at Lilinette, "Miss Lilinette."

Lilinette twitched, her eyes narrowing to pinpoints. "You…"

Halibel set a hand on Tiburon's hilt, stilling.

Sighing heavily, I stood, brandishing the hot teapot. "Alright, everyone, you're going to sheath your swords before I pour scalding hot tea all over you… Vicenta, get out of the way. I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

"Yes, Mom." Vicenta nodded quickly, sheathing her sword and jumping to the side.

"Now…" I said slowly, looking between them, "Think about it. Two really, reeeaaaally fucking powerful shinigami just waltzed right on in, and it took you all a good thirty minutes to react. Twenty of those minutes we've been sitting here drinking tea. If they wanted to fuck us up, it would have already happened. They just wanna talk. Can we stop for about five more minutes and listen?"

Szayel stared at me for a moment, then looked down at the captains. "…Fine. Grimmjow, Vicenta, Lilinette, leave."

"Heeeeeeeeeey!!" Vicenta and Lilinette whined simultaneously.

"Why the fuck should I go?!" Grimmjow frowned, bordering on pouting, "I was an Espada, too!"

"Because you're a brash dumbfuck and you get pissy too easy." I pointed to the door, "You heard him. Out."

Grimmjow glared at me, "And why should I listen to you?!"

I glared back, "Because one, you're dating my daughter. Two, I have access to your food. Now, get."

Vicenta grabbed Grimmjow and dragged him out, Lilinette following behind.

Sighing, I set the teapot back down and straightened, smiling at the others, "Care to join us?"

Grumbling and uncomfortable, the three former Espada settled down on the couch, each taking a cup of tea.

We all sat in silence for a moment, Szayel sipping at his tea thoughtfully, Halibel sat stiffly with her eyes narrowed, and Stark… well, he was the only one of the three who looked comfortable. Then again, he was slumped over, half-asleep already.

Shunsui and Jushiro were still smiling, and I was twitching.

"…That's gotta be awkward, huh?" Everyone blinked and looked at me, and I shrugged, "Just thinking… Stark and Mr. Kyoraku fought at the battle, right? That's how you two know one another's names. It's gotta be kinda weird to greet one another when the last time you were both in a life-or-death battle…"

Stark shrugged, "Eeeeehhhh…"

Shunsui chuckled, "We really weren't thinking about it."

I twitched. This wasn't getting us anywhere…

"Well, then," Jushiro straightened, "Why don't we get down to business. Is it true that none of you are planning on making any moves against the Seireitei while we are in Hueco Mundo?"

"No real reason to." Stark sighed, "Besides, you all know where we are, now. Why give you a reason to take away the last semblance of a home we have?"

Jushiro winced slightly.

"What he means is, no." I said, shaking my head, "No attacks, no plans of world domination, no invasions of the human world. We're done… we'll probably just stay here and try to govern ourselves as best we can. Do what you want with Las Noches; it's only a shell of bad memories…" I glanced at the former Espada, "Right?"

They just shrugged, muttering.

"There are a few things I'd like to grab from my old labs…" Szayel muttered, more pouting than anything, "Files I never committed to computer memory for the sake of security…"

"Not sure if there's anything we can do about that." Shunsui shrugged apologetically, "We're here without sanction… More for our own assurance, than anything."

"How did you know where to find us?" Halibel asked sharply, her eyes narrowing at Szayel as if to ask 'Is there some break in your defense?!'.

"When Aporro and that girl escaped from Unohana's care, actually." Shunsui grinned, nodding to me, "Then three Espada-level reiatsu picked them up and took off. They disappeared around here… you're lucky old man Yama wasn't in Las Noches. He would have ordered an inquisition."

I winced, shifting. "How long do you all expect to be in Hueco Mundo?" How long are you all going to make us hide?

The two shinigami winced, exchanging glances.

"A full investigation of Sosuke's palace, papers, and all of the rooms, not to mention the questioning of those Arrancar in custody could take…" Jushiro sighed, "Years."

I tensed, "Arrancar… in custody?" More of them? Being held captive? Fuck… "What can we do to make peace?"

The shinigami and former Espada blinked.

"I don't know about you all…" I glanced at the Espada, "But I'm not too hot on the idea of hiding in a hole for years, hoping and praying we don't get found. And I also don't like the idea of more of us being held in custody… The fighting is over. Can't we just end this business and go our separate ways?"

"Ideal as that all sounds, kiddo…" Shunsui sighed, "It's not that easy. Shinigami and Arrancar are natural enemie—"

"No." I cut him off, frowning, "Shinigami and _Hollows_ are natural enemies. Someone from your side took an item and enhanced an extremely rare and naturally occurring incident, blowing it out of proportion and declaring war on mankind. Arrancar are a subspecies, not entirely Hollow. What you see before you is your own inability to deal with your fellows. I may not know the whole story, but I know that without Aizen none of them would have gotten as strong as the ones before you, and none of this would have happened. You have no right to make us hide in a sandpit when you helped make us what we are."

"Aporro." Szayel hissed, "Stop."

"No!" I glared at him, "Szayel, this affects me, too, damn it! And there are Arrancar in there having god knows what done to them! And there's no way these two can promise us that nothing is happening to them, especially not if that Kurotsuchi bastard is involved! Szayel, he ran _me_ through and he knew I wasn't you! He knew I was human!"

"Aporro!"

"No! Fuck this!" I turned back to the captains, "I'm not saying we're blameless at any level, and there's no way we can make up for what we've done, but can't we just be left alone?! We don't want any more fighting!"

"Aporro, leave."

I turned on Szayel, ready to snap. When I saw the blank look he was giving me, though, I stopped. Stark and Halibel were giving me the same look…

Clenching my jaw, I stood and stormed out.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, Aporro needs to get the fuck down from her soapbox and shut her fucking piehole. She was way too presumptuous and should have never said anything…

But I couldn't stand it.

I felt like I had to say something… I didn't want them fighting anymore.

I didn't want to have to worry…

But it was starting to think that it wasn't possible.

Maybe… they were just too different.


	43. XLIII Computers and Bikinis

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

It wasn't long before I was called back into the room; apparently it hadn't slipped passed either of the shinigami that I had said I was human.

"And you're completely sure of your lineage?"

I shrugged, "I'm not, he is." I pointed to Szayel, "He's the one who saved me. Nnoitra was the one who brought me back."

"What was your name?" Jushiro asked, "So we can check our records later…"

"Ugh…" I shrugged, "'Setsuko' is all I can remember. No surname."

Jushiro blinked, "Setsuko? Setsuko Nakamura?"

I blinked, "Huh?"

"It's down on record…" Shunsui began carefully, "That several years ago in the human world, a sixteen-year-old girl by the name of Setsuko Nakamura was, presumably, killed by one of the first complete Arrancar we had on record. Because we knew so little about the Arrancar at that time, it became an important case for several of us… but when no body or soul was found, we were left to assume she had either been consumed or became a Hollow…"

"Is there any other name you can remember to tie you to this incident?" Jushiro asked, apparently intensely interested.

"I…" I sighed, looking down and picking my nails, "I had a boyfriend… His name was Kohaku…" Hearing his name, Kohaku the cat jumped up onto my lap and lay down on my hands, rolling onto his back and presenting his furry white stomach. I smirked, "Attention whore…" I rubbed his belly.

"Kohaku Watanabe…"

A jolt went though my body and I stiffened, hand fisting in Kohaku's fur. He hissed and flipped, scratching my hand before leaping down and taking off.

"…Say that name again…"

"…Kohaku Watanabe." Jushiro repeated after a moment.

"He abandoned me, you know…" I muttered, looking up and meeting his eyes, "I saved him. He couldn't see Nnoitra, but I could. I saved him, and when I needed him to save me he turned and ran. He didn't know what he was running _from_; for all he knew it could have just been pipes exploding. Still… he ran… he left me…"

"Miss Nakamura…"

"Don't call me that." I hissed, drawing back, "I haven't been that person in years. I don't want to be that person anymore. She's dead. I'm Aporro… Don't say that name again."

Jushiro blinked, glancing at Shunsui.

Shunsui shrugged, "So, you're forsaking your human life?"

"It's _been_ forsaken…" I looked away.

"And what about your family? Your friends?" The captain pressed, "You have people back on earth who miss you."

"Who think I'm dead, is more like it." I frowned, " Besides, I have friends and family here, too. And even more than that, my human body is obsolete. I gave that up waaaaay long ago, and my DNA is cemented as it is now…" I twitched, "Which is why I look like him." I pointed to Szayel.

Shunsui blinked, "Ah."

I nodded, "Yeah…"

At that moment, the door burst open and Vicenta ran in, panting, "M-Mom!"

"Easy, hon." I sighed as she fell to her knees beside me, rubbing her back, "Breathe and then talk."

She gasped in a few breathes, then leaned up and hissed into my ear, "I fucked up Dad's computers… real bad this time!"

I blinked, hissing back, "What happened?!"

She winced, pulling one of the small handhelds that was hooked up to Szayel's main computers.

I took it, flipping it open and blinking as it loaded, biting my lip very, veeeeeeery hard to choke back a laugh.

"They're all like that!" Vicenta hissed as I stared at the small monitor, the desktop background of which had been changed to a picture of some chick in a revealing white bikini with a picture of Szayel's head superimposed over the woman's. "I realized I went a bit overboard and tried to take it off, but it's stuck! I can't get it off! I think I accidentally imbedded the address for one of my viruses into the signature…"

"Didn't I tell you to keep those on a disk if you're going to keep them at all?!"

"I did, I did! But there are a few contained ones I keep in a vault on the computer… The address accessed the vault."

"Aporro? Vicenta?"

We both jumped and yelped, smiling sheepishly at the quirked brow what-the-hell-is-going-on look Szayel was throwing us.

"Aaaaah…" I smiled widely, "It's nothing! Nothing I can't handle." I closed the handheld and stood, nodding to Vicenta, "Let's go…"

"Aporro…" Szayel growled suspiciously, glaring.

I quirked a brow, "I don't know why you still try to intimidate me like that; you know I think it makes you look sexy."

When you need a good way to distract Szayel, tell him he's sexy. It turns him into a stuttering mess.

I grinned as he turned pink, throwing him a salute, "Save the punishment for tonight, _Master_. I'll make sure to dress for the part."

Vicenta waited until we were out of the room to glance at me, "You have Dad by the balls, don't you?"

I smirked, "Pretty much."

"You know you said that in front of those captains and the other former Espada?"

"Yyyyep." And Szayel was going to have my ass for that… though hopefully in more ways that one. If he just gets pissed at me, he won't be getting any for a week. "Anyway, let's get to fixing that screw up you made on the computer…"

…According to my memories, I had a fairly advanced understanding of computers in my previous life.

Now?

Fuck. No.

The only thing I actually used Szayel's computers for was my journal, and that had died a few months ago. Szayel wouldn't quit reading it.

But, I could always make suggestions, and suggestions from someone who really didn't know computers was better than asking the person whose computer you fucked up… At least, that was Vicenta's train of thought. I was a bit skeptical…

It was also better than asking the Fraccion, and that something even I agreed with.

There was a good reason Szayel never let his Fraccion on his computers… But it's best we don't talk about that incident. Szayel is still touchy about it, and I don't know much about it, anyway. He never would let me look at those pictures that popped up on the screen every now and then… Hell, he didn't even let me touch the computer again until he had cleared it up.

And I had a feeling I didn't want to know what the pictures were of; Szayel could be one sick fuck, and if even _he_ cringed while looking at them then…

Yeah. You get it.

Either the Fraccion were major perverts, or they were fucking insane sadists.

Though considering their creator, you couldn't really blame them…

Anyway, in the main computer room, I sat back and watched as Vicenta typed away on the computer, finally giving in and dropping to my knees in gales of laughter at the desktop image.

Szayel's head superimposed on a female swimsuit model's body… EPIC!!

And, yes, you don't have to point it out; if I wore a bathing suit, it would technically be the same thing. _Technically_.

I, however, have more feminine facial features than Szayel does; including a less pronounced Adam's apple, a more delicate chin, slightly fuller lips… Yeah, if I were to wear a bikini, with Szayel's basic body and my X chromosome, I would look real damned hot.

If Szayel wore a bikini? Downright fucking disturbing. Even if he has one fine ass…

…Random side note; find out if this place has a swimming pool and push Szayel into it. Even without swim trunks, his uniform is tight enough…

…Holy shit…

You'd be able to see… everything…

Everything, damn it!!

I NEED TO SEE HIM WET WHILE HE'S WEARING HIS CLOTHES!! Dear god, I was getting horny just _imagining_ it…

"—om! Mom! Hey!!"

I jumped, blinking, "Huh?"

Vicenta stared at me flatly, "Drool. Right side."

I blinked, rubbing the right side of my mouth sheepishly with the back of my hand, "Sorry… You want something?"

"Yeah…" Vicenta looked up at the screen, "I think I found something you can help me with. What was Nnoitra's zanpakuto's name?"

I blinked, then sighed and thought, frowning, "Uh… something about praying… Santa Teresa?"

Vicenta nodded, typing it in and sighing happily when the computer started running the 'Advanced Virus Scan', "Thanks…"

I stared up at the screen, quirking a brow, "Why is _Nnoitra_ one of his safe words? And why are things _related to_ Nnoitra safe words?"

Vicenta shrugged, "Didn't they work together on something at one point? Dad doesn't really have many attachments… he probably doesn't think about it, anyway."

"True…" I blinked when viruses popped up on the list, one after another, "Okay, Centa, I think I need to put my foot down and stop you from putting viruses on your dad's computer again… and no changing things around, either. It's a bitch to cheer him up when you've pissed him off."

"Fine, fine." She grumbled, leaning back and pouting. "And I thought I was doing well…"

"You were." I sighed, "Just ask your dad to make you your own computer and start programming things instead of fucking them up. It'll keep you occupied and you don't have to worry about getting yelled at…"

"Aww…" Vicenta pouted, "But the yelling is half of the fun!"

"Centa…"

"Fine, fine." She pouted harder, "Meanie…"

"Brat."

"Bitch."

"…Excuse me?"

"…Eh-heh… I love you?" She smiled sheepishly.

I glared down at her, "That's what I thought… And you're grounded."

"Fuck…"

"Two weeks."

"Damn it!"

"Two and a half."

"…"

"Good girl."

* * *

"If things work out the way we hope…" Jushiro was saying, smiling at the former Espada as I walked up, "We won't ever have to hunt you down. If you are found, though, you can rest assured that Shunsui and I will defend you."

Szayel nodded, "And we will refrain from crossing the line…" He glanced at me as I stood beside him, smirking slightly, "Aporro is very good at being bitchy and getting us to follow the rules."

I backhanded him without looking, smiling at Shunsui and Jushiro, "It was a pleasure meeting you…"

Jushiro chuckled and Shunsui shook his head, smirking. "Good luck, Miss Aporro."

"I'd be giving that to this bastard." I continued smiling, grabbing Szayel's groin and twisting, "He's going to need it."

Szayel tried to keep himself as deadpanned as possible, but his face was red and his eye was twitching. Hehehehe… pussy.

The other Espada dispersed as the two shinigami walked out, Szayel staying behind as I entered the code to the doors.

"Aporro, what did Vicenta need you for?"

"Nothing big." I shrugged casually, glancing at him, "Is there a pool here?"

Szayel blinked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. Man, it's easy to catch him off guard… "Yes. Why?"

I smiled, "Could you please show me to it?"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously as soon as I said 'please', but he nodded and turned, walking down the hall.

As I followed him, my smile turned to a grin.

Hehe… Wet Szayel…

* * *

I followed Szayel back to the room, whistling innocently and watching his wet hair swing back and forth as he walked, his fine ass standing out proudly with his hakama soaked through.

He grumbled, throwing a glare over his shoulder, "Quit staring."

I quirked a brow, smirking and crossing my arms behind my back. I'd jumped in right after I'd pushed him, and I was just as sopping as he was. When his eyes wandered down, I snickered, "Quit staring."

Szayel narrowed his eyes, "Next time, can't you just wait until we're in the proper attire?"

"Nope." I shrugged, "Not nearly as sexy then. Clothes tend to cling a lot better while wet when they're not make to be worn wet."

Szayel twitched, then looked forward again, now storming.

Drama queen…


	44. XLIV Water

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Aporr—"

"Later, Szayel!" I pushed him in.

Szayel stumbled and fell into the pool with a splash.

I smirked, crouching and watching his pink and white form as he flailed around underwater, then resurfaced.

He glared up at me, eyes narrowed.

I leaned forward, staring right into his eyes, "You have no idea how sexy you look right now…"

Szayel twitched.

I jumped when his hand shot out, grabbing my shirt and pulling me in.

I'd waited until late, very, veeeeeeerry late, when everyone was sure to be asleep, to drag Szayel back out to the pool. He hadn't wanted to; he really, reaaaally hadn't wanted to. Especially not after what had happened last itme.

I'd sworn up and down I wouldn't push him in if he'd just come with me…

And had I meant it? Hell no. He was too sexy when he was wet for me to have meant it.

And I wasn't completely at fault, you know; he knew I didn't mean it.

Szayel would have had to be a complete idiot to not be able to tell what I had been planning…

He knew.

And I think he wanted it; right before I fell into the water, I saw his eyes flash and his lips pull into a slight smirk. Then I was underwater, flailing and spinning. I righted myself and kicked until I surfaced, sputtering.

I pouted at him as my glasses fell off of my face, "Meanie… At least I gave you warning…"

Szayel's smirk widened, "When have I never retaliated in some form, Aporro?"

I rolled my eyes, grinning and punching him in the chest, then wading back so I could take off my hakama. It was soaked through and heavy, and if I had to tread and wear it at the same time, I'd run out of energy too quickly and sink.

Untying the sash, I held my breath and sunk down, pushing the hakama off of my legs and gathering it into my arms. I surfaced, pushing the pile of soaked material over the edge of the pool and onto the walkway, then dove again, swimming to the bottom and feeling around for my glasses.

Szayel tried to sneak up on me; I felt him. Silly boy, trying to be a ninja…

I flipped around, smirking up at him and quirking a brow at his outstretched arms.

Szayel smirked back, then continued to reach out.

I lifted my arms and brought them to my sides quickly, kicking at the same time and shooting off. I then turned and crouched against the bottom of the pool, launching myself straight up and breeching.

I waited until Szayel surfaced a moment later to lunge.

Call me childish, but I love playing in water. There wasn't anything sexual about the way I had wrapped my arms around his waist and dragged him under. Nothing. I wasn't even thinking about how hot he would look when we got out of the water and was dripping wet, his uniform clinging and hanging…

I was actually… just having fun.

Fuck, when was the last time I'd just had fun?!

I don't know, but I was now, and that was all I cared about.

After disentangling myself from the flailing Szayel, I surfaced again and panted, grinning when he came up, sputtering.

"Damn it, Aporro, what the hell?!"

I winced and pulled back, lowering my head, "I'm sorry… I was just… playing…"

"…Playing?" Szayel quirked a brow.

"Yeah…" I mumbled, twitching. Fuck, now I feel really, really childish…

"Hmm… Playing…" Szayel chuckled.

I twitched again, looking up at him in disbelief as he chuckled, then started laughing.

"Humans are so pathetically easy to please!" Szayel cackled, covering his face with one hand and treading water with the other. "Honestly! The most intelligent species on your planet, and you are still so easily dragged in by the idea of 'play'!"

I glared at him, crimson. Right as he was, the bastard had no right to make fun of me like that…

Szayel saw me glaring at him and chuckled, drifting closer and cooing with his ever-mocking tone, "Now, Aporro, really, don't be like that. It is, by far, one of your more endearing traits…"

"…'Endearing'?" I twitched again, glaring at him harder but unable to hold back on the smirk twitching at my lips, "You think my playing is 'endearing'?" When his smirk only widened slightly, I kicked back and drifted towards him, "Well, while we're on the subject, you wanna know what about you I find _endearing_?"

"…What?" Szayel asked with a smirk, eyes flashing with suspicion as I continued drifting towards him. He started to drift back…

"Those hot…" I pinned him against the side of the pool, "Sexy…" I grabbed the wrist of one of the hands that tried to push me away, pinning it to the walkway behind his head, "Dirty noises that come out of your mouth when I do this…" I slipped my free hand into his hakama and grabbed him.

Szayel writhed, hissing and biting his lip until it bled when I squeezed, groaning into my mouth when I lapped up the blood and kissed him, "Succubus…"

"You're hardly asleep…" I muttered, sliding my hand up and down his length slowly and coaxing an erection. "At least… you'd better not be…" I worked my lips over his jaw and down his neck, biting the curve of his shoulder.

"Sadist…" Szayel gasped, hips rolling into my hand and jerking when his head brushed my stomach.

"Hypocritical masochist…" I growled, moaning wantonly and wrapping a leg around his waist when he jerked free of my hand and thrust against my groin. "Impatient?"

Szayel's answer rumbled deep in his chest, unintelligible.

Growling again, I made quick work of his sash and hakama, letting them sink into the dark blue depths of the pool as I lifted myself and let him thrust in.

Friction built as we moved, gradually making the water of the pool feel colder and colder, though that same water made me feel weightless from the chest down, making it all the easier to slam down onto him. I hiked my leg higher, pulling him deeper…

Fuck, we need to swim more often…

* * *

Grimmjow twitched, slamming the doors to the pool shut.

"What's wrong?" Vicenta blinked, looking up at him and tilting her head, "Aren't we gonna go in?"

Grimmjow twitched again.

Much as his inner kitty Hollow hated water, the thought of getting to see Vicenta in a bathing suit had been enough to let her convince him to going swimming… His only requirement being that they went late at night, when everyone else was sleeping.

Apparently, though, that pink-haired bastard and the pink-haired bitch had the same idea and were already in there, fucking like mad, moaning and slamming into one another.

And with that, Grimmjow's thoughts of _ever_ swimming in that pool died.

Sure, he'd never be able to see Vicenta swimming in it, but there were plenty of other bodies of water in this place, including the bathtubs.

Fuck it.

Grimmjow would _never_ go into that room again.

"Grimmjow?" Vicenta called again.

"It's nothing." Grimmjow grunted, grabbing her wrist and walking off.

"Wh-What about the pool?!"

"…One of your dad's Fraccion is in there pouring some sick-looking goopy shit into it. I think it's cleaner…"

"Oh…" Vicenta sighed, making Grimmjow look down at her and sigh. She looked so disappointed…

"This place got a hot tub?"

Vicenta blinked, "Uh…" She looked around, rubbing the back of her head in exasperation when she saw a door just ahead with a sign above it that said that very word. "Yeah, apparently. Right there."

Grimmjow looked, blinking, then shrugged and pulled her towards it, "Let's go in there. It'll be better for your muscles than the cold water would, anyway."

Vicenta winced slightly at the mere mention of 'muscles'. She was able to ignore the burning pain, bruises and exhaustion from the hard training regimen Grimmjow had her on until he mentioned it. And, now that she was thinking about it, her muscles were starting to twitch painfully…

Grimmjow glanced down at her, frowning slightly when he saw the pain she was in. It was so obvious on her face… "Suck it up." When she looked up at him, shocked and slightly angry, he grunted and dragged her into the hot tub room, "You're an Arrancar, not a human. Arrancar show no weakness, not even on their deathbeds…"

"Oh…"

Nodding, Grimmjow shut the door and turned back to the sunken hot tub, cringing slightly and peeling off his uniform. Even if it _was_ hot water, he didn't much care to get in…

When Vicenta saw Grimmjow undressing, she reddened and turned away, occupying herself with unbuttoning her jacket to get down to her bathing suit.

She'd been a bit surprised to see that the stores of clothes her father kept at the complex actually included bathing suits, but she figured there was probably a good explanation for it. Maybe for the suspension tanks…

"You coming?"

Vicenta jumped and yelped, turning and flushing crimson, thanking her father that the male-issue swimsuit were a modest pair of swim trunks… She only wished the female-issue one-pieces had more of a back to them.

"Y-Yeah…" She nodded, shuffling over to the edge of the hot tub and stepping in. Wincing, she descended the stairs slowly and waded through the hip-deep water, moving to the back of the hot tub and sitting on the shelf.

Grimmjow watched her hips sway under the water with a smirk, then winced when he realized it was his turn.

He twitched, storming to the edge of the hot pool and glaring down at the bubbling, foaming water like it had insulted him.

"…Grimmjow?"

"Gimme a minute…" He grunted, drawing his lips back over his canines and hissing at the water, crouching on all fours and leaning forward until his nose nearly touched the steaming surface.

"…Uh… Grimmjow… it's just water… It's not like it can glare back…"

Actually, that wasn't quite correct. Grimmjow could see his reflection in the water, and it was indeed glaring back at him. Watery son of a bitch…

Grimmjow reached out and poked the surface of the water, hissing louder and drawing back when he actually got _wet_. Fuckin' wet water…

Grimmjow was too into glaring at the water to feel Vicenta walking up on him… Too into being pissed at the fact that water had to be wet to notice her step out… Too into growling a challenge at his watery reflection to a fight to feel her hands on his back…

He did, though, noticed when the water suddenly got too close, and his hand shot back to find some support, latching onto the first thing he grabbed and pulling it down with him as he fell into the water.

He hugged his support close and thrashed around, then stood and burst out of the hot water, sputtering and yowling, enraged.

When his support shuddered and drew back, his eyes snapped down and locked onto Vicenta's, making him pause and blink.

She'd tried to push him in as a joke or something, but seeing him angry had scared her… She was looking up at him with wide, fearful amber eyes, struggling to push away from him before he turned his anger on her and lashed out.

"I-I'm sorry…" She muttered.

Grimmjow sighed and let her go, "Just… don't do it again…" He grumbled and sat back on the shelf, glaring down at the water, "Fuckin' hate getting wet…"

Vicenta shuffled uneasily, then sat back down at her place in the back, keeping as much room between her and the angry Grimmjow as she could.

The former Sexta didn't fail to notice this and glanced at her, smirking slightly.

Short as she was, the water didn't cover the top of her chest, which she had plenty of and her bathing suit showed off nicely. Not that she was as large as Halibel, but she definitely came from good stock… She'd gotten her mother's stubborn attitude and fair-sized chest. Fortunately, she didn't have her parent's pink hair, and even if her eyes were amber, he liked to look into them. That fiery stubbornness made her excessively cute.

Now, though, that stubborn stare was subdued and directed down at the water, guilt painted across her face.

Grimmjow didn't like that; she was cuter when she was pissed.

Moving slowly and lithely, Grimmjow crouched on the underwater sitting shelf, walking on all fours around the edge towards her. He smirked when he saw she was getting redder and redder the closer he got, and he was sure it wasn't the water.

"Hey…" He mumbled when he was next to her, leaning in and grazing her shoulder with his teeth, "Quit looking so down. I said it was okay…"

"No…" She mumbled, crimson, "You didn't…"

"I didn't, huh? Well, I am now." He sat and pulled her towards him, draping his leg over hers and bending his other underneath him, pulling her onto his lap and holding her against his chest, "It's okay."

Vicenta shifted, choking on her own silence. When Grimmjow turned her head and kissed her, though, she groaned and leaned into him, unable to hold back. Easy as it was for Grimmjow to embarrass her, and nervous as she was about his advancements, this was one thing she didn't hold back on.

Vicenta knew she was pretty naïve about romance and relationships, but this much, at least, made sense to her.

Grimmjow smirked as she melted against him, running his hand up and down her bare back and holding her against him tightly, enjoying the feel of her body. He could kill her mother for making him wait eighteen fucking years to take her, but he also could live with it…

After all, only a few more months and he could feel her up all he wanted. And he could savor breaking her in for _yeeeaaaars_…

* * *

When Szayel and I stumbled back to the room, soaked, sore and exhausted, we both collapsed on the bed without changing or drying off.

After a few moments of panting, I burst into laughter and stopped only when I ran out of breath.

Szayel stared at me oddly, quirking a brow, "What was that?"

I grinned, "We have _got_ to fuck in public places more often. It's waaaaaaay hotter than doing it in bed…"

Szayel smirked, rolling his eyes, "Aporro, go to sleep…"

And I was just about to when the dim lights overhead suddenly flared to full life and started flashing red, a loud wailing following close behind.

I screamed and jumped up, looking around, "Szayel?!"

But he was already sonidoing out of the room, droplets of water that couldn't quite keep up with him slapping into the door as it slammed shut behind him.


	45. XLV Connect

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Vicenta Acere Grantz…" Szayel began slowly, dangerously, pacing back and forth in front of his daughter with his hand clamped behind his back.

Vicenta faced forward, standing ramrod straight with her hands at her sides and her head level, staring at her father's computer with a blank face.

Behind her stood Stark, Halibel, Grimmjow, and Lumina and Verona, all standing at ease; Stark slumped forward with his hands shoved into his pockets, Halibel with her weight shifted to one leg and her arms crossed under her ample breasts, Grimmjow rather irately and stiff, as if to dive to Vicenta's aid at any moment, and Lumina and Verona a bit off to the side, shifting back and forth nervously.

Szayel had been very formal about all of this, wanting as many witnesses as possible… And, of course, his natural choices had been the former Espada, his two main Fraccion, and myself.

I sat at Szayel's computer, his chair swiveled around so I could lean back and watch as he paced. Though I wasn't tense, like Grimmjow I was ready to defend Vicenta if I felt she needed it. This time, though, she had really gone too far…

"Up until now…" Szayel said quietly, though the room was so silent he may as well have been shouting, "I have dealt with your doings on my computers without any serious punishment, even going so far several times as to fix the mistakes you left behind… But now you have forced me to take action."

Vicenta winced slightly as he slammed his foot down, pointing to the screen behind me, which was solid blue save the lines of white code that were cascading down the screen too quickly to read.

"Fifty-five years. That, Vicenta Acere, is how long it has been since the last time I was forced to completely restore my systems. Fifty-five years. In the last incident, it was the fault of no single person; a natural disaster caused the electricity to short. And other than a short, I hadn't considered it possible for my computer to need to be restored. Do you understand what I am saying, Vicenta? You are as destructive as a natural disaster."

Vicenta winced again, unable to hold it back this time. Behind her, Grimmjow snorted.

"Vicenta, I have been lenient, but this is enough." Szayel stopped pacing and met her eyes evenly, "You are hereby banished from my labs and forbidden from using any of my pieces of technological equipment."

Vicenta's eyes widened and glazed slightly, her breath hitching in her chest.

I frowned, standing, "Now, hold on, there, Szayel…"

Szayel stiffened, looking over his shoulder and glaring at me, "You have something to say, Aporro?"

"Yeah, I do." I glared back at him, scoffing, "First off, don't fucking look at me or talk to me like that; you know it doesn't affect me worth shit. Second, you're going overboard."

Szayel grit his teeth and turned on me, hissing, "Aporro, I am restoring almost seventy years of computer data. This is not overboard."

I rolled my eyes, "It is when this is partially your fault."

"My fault?! And just how is this my fault?!"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, I said _partially_!" I snapped, standing and crossing my arms, "And you knew she was prone to getting into your shit! It's your fault for not foreseeing that she would eventually fuck things up to this point and getting her a distraction."

Szayel twitched, narrowing his eyes, "What are you suggesting?"

"Simple; give her a computer. Her own computer. One not hooked up to your systems… Actually, why don't you just give her the materials she needs, give her a room, and let her do what she will?"

"…She did something wrong… so you… want me to give her something…?" Szayel frowned, "No wonder teenage humans are so unruly; you humans are terrible at punishing your offspring!"

"It's called good parenting, you ass!" I glared, "Give her a safe environment to fuck up in and let her learn from her own goddamned mistakes! It'll also double over as teaching her responsibility! It's your fault for not punishing her right off so she's learned a habit; redirect her curiosity!"

"And it's your fault for shielding her every time I went to punish her; do not allow her to get away with making mistakes!"

"We're shaped by mistakes!"

"We're shaped by consequences!"

"I'll shape _you_ if you make any moves to ban her from computers!!"

"'I'll shape _you_'?! What does that even mean?!"

"Fuck if I know, but I think it means I'll kick your ass!"

"Aporro, I don't have time to deal with your nonsense; I am trying to punish my offspring!"

"Szayel, that's half of my genetic code in that body so she's my 'offspring' too, you jackass! I get a say in this!!"

"No you do not, because you encouraged this behavior!"

"Yes I do, because she's more likely to listen to me, anyway!"

"WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP?!"

Szayel and I froze, blinking. I don't know about him, but I'd forgotten we weren't alone…

We both turned back, blinking again when we saw the others staring at us.

"I…" Vicenta began after a moment, pale, "I'm sorry…"

A moment of silence.

"Nah, hon," I sighed, rubbing the back of my head and leaning back, "This wasn't your fault… This is actually pretty typical for two people in a lengthy relationship. I'm sorry you had to see it, though…"

"Normal?!" Her eyes widened, "This is normal?! B-But one of you two usually brushes the other off! I… I don't every remember seeing you two at each other's throats!"

I blinked, then groaned, "Aww, fuck, the honeymoon is over…"

"…Huh?"

Without answering Szayel, I turned and slumped out, grumbling, "Give her some computer materials and a room. It won't happen again… Right, Centa?"

"Y-Yeah, Mo—"

The door swung shut behind me.

* * *

Grimmjow quirked a brow after Aporro, the same brow going even higher when Szayel spoke to Vicenta quickly before following her.

"…The fuck is a 'honeymoon'?" The former Sexta asked after a moment.

"A human celebratory vacation newly married couples leave on soon after their wedding…" Stark drawled, scratching his jaw and stifling a yawn.

"…Married?" Grimmjow knew what marriage was. "Why the fuck would she say 'honeymoon', then? They aren't married…"

"No clue." The former Primera grunted, turning and slumping out of the room. Halibel followed his example a moment later.

When they were alone save the two Fraccion, Grimmjow turned back to Vicenta, blinking.

She was staring off into space, a dazed look on her face and her eyes wide. She hadn't moved ever since she had frozen at what her father had told her…

"Vi?" When she didn't move, Grimmjow walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Centa?" He twitched slightly when she turned towards him slowly, her head tilting up at an eerie angle.

"He… gave me… my own lab…"

Grimmjow blinked, "Your dad?"

"Y-Yeah!" Vicenta nodded, regaining some of her life and smiling in disbelief, "And I know which one it is! It's one of his old computer labs! C'mon, I'll show you!"

Grimmjow blinked again, going a bit lax and letting Vicenta drag him out of the room and down the hall. Smirking slightly at her enthusiasm, he matched her pace to make it easier on her as they took sharp turns and twisted through the smaller back halls, squeaking to a halt when she stopped in front of one door in particular.

Vicenta was grinning widely as she pushed the door open, running into the darkness that waited.

Following, Grimmjow squinted his eyes against the darkness, looking around as his eyes adjusted and the sliver of light that shone in through the doorway allowed him a dull glimpse of what lay in the room.

There were shelves built into the walls around the room, all elevated a consistent three feet off of the ground. Tables of various shapes and designs were strewn around the room, each one littered with remains of computer screens, system units with the plastic casings removed to show motherboards, internal drives, network cards and all, along with a variety of other items.

They were all old, outdated, and covered in dust; no one had been in this room in some time…

"…This…" Grimmjow started after a moment, brow quirked, "Is yours?"

"Yes, isn't it amazing?!" Vicenta twirled around the room, latching onto the nearest dusty computer and hugging it, "I mean, yeah, all of this stuff is old and unimpressive… But with a little work, I could easily have the most powerful computer this lab has ever seen!! Grimmjow, it's all mine!!"

Even if he couldn't see it just yet, Grimmjow did notice the look in her eyes… One side of her face was already smudged grey with the dust from the monitor she had been nuzzling, but her amber eyes were shining and wide.

"Yeah, Centa…" He smirked, "It's all yours. So, where are you going to start?"

Vicenta looked around, her gaze firming as she nodded determinedly, "Cleaning." She turned to Grimmjow, making a show of clasping her hands behind her back and shifting back and forth on her feet, "Will you help me, Grimmy?"

"…Aw, fuck." He couldn't say 'no'.

Vicenta smirked; she knew he couldn't deny her.

* * *

"Aporro…" Szayel knocked on the bathroom door, "Come out of there and talk to me."

"You don't want to talk!" Aporro wailed back, "You just want me where you can shoot me up with those damned sedatives!"

Szayel twitched, shoving the syringe in his hand into his pocket. Apparently, she had gotten used to his thought process…

* * *

"Aporro, I am not going to sedate you. Now please, quit being hysterical and come out here. What did you mean by 'honeymoon'?"

"Oh, it's one of the phases of the marital relationship…" I whined, laying stomach down on the floor and resting my cheek on the cold, white stone, "First comes the honeymoon, where we spend our time having hot crazy sex and generally getting along… then the reality phase sets in and we start fighting about everything…"

There was a pause, then Szayel scoffed, exasperated, "Aporro, you cannot be serious! That is the most ridiculous notion I have ever heard!"

"But it's true!"

"It most certainly is not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No, Aporro, it isn't…"

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it isn't!" Szayel snapped, impatient.

"You see?!" I wailed, covering my head, "We're fighting already!"

There was a pause, then a heavy sigh as Szayel ground out, "Aporro, I am going to assume that you are being particularly childish and unreasonable because you are on your menses; it is certainly about that time, if your cycle hasn't changed. Please come out so I can give you something to calm you down."

I knew I was being irrational, but that last part got to me… "…Have you been measuring out my menstrual cycle?!" EWWW!!

"I am a scientist, Aporro!" Szayel cried, exasperated, "I can't help but notice things, and I assure you sometimes they are things I really don't care to know! Now come out before I come in!"

I winced, then snickered and stood, walking to the door and opening it. I smirked at the flustered, flushed look Szayel had from pounding on the door and being so angry…

"You look cute when you're pissed."

Szayel twitched, pulling a syringe out of his pocket, "This will calm you down."

"Fine…" I sighed, unzipping my jacket and pulling my arm out of the sleeve. May as well get one little shot out of the way before I went all hormonal again…

"…I gave Vicenta the third computer lab." He glanced at me, rubbing the injection point with his thumb, "It hasn't been used in years and there are plenty of old computers and equipment in there for her to make… something."

"Aww…" I smirked, reaching up and rubbing the rim of one side of his glasses. "Now was that so hard?"

"Uhh…" Szayel shuddered, closing his eyes and twitching.

Hollow holes and masks, particularly the underside of the latter, can be major erogenous zones if you work them up right… Other than that, Arrancar prefer that you don't touch them. They're very sensitive, in both positive and negative ways. Positive in that it can be arousing, and negative in that… well, come in, it's obvious, right?

If Hollows moan in pain the way they do dying after they've had their masks split, just imagine how they must sound, feel, when it's just being crushed and they have to _live_ through it…

Szayel _hates_ it when I touch his mask, no matter how arousing it is when I'm as gentle as I can be…

"I don't want you questioning my authority in front of her like that again…" Szayel sighed, batting my hand away, "She'll become unruly…"

I scoffed, "Towards you, she will."

"That's right." Szayel narrowed his eyes, "Towards me. I would like to have a bit of authority over her, as well, Aporro…"

"She's not one of your experiments, you know." I sighed, reaching up and rubbing a thumb along the arm of his glasses, "She's your daughter… She's _supposed_ to be rebellious."

His eyes slipped shut again, but this time Szayel didn't brush me off.

Suddenly warm and tingly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close, kissing along the smooth, cool bone of his mask, "Fuck, what was in that syringe…?"

"Ch-chlordia… zepoxide…"

"That shit again?" I ran my tongue along the length of bone, pressing him against the wall when he went limp, "You know what it does to me…"

"Th-that… I… do…."

"Then you know I'm all horny now…" I ground my hips against his, "You're going to have to help me fix that…"

Szayel smirked, "Just as I thought…"

* * *

Vicenta walked passed her parents door, making a slight face. It'd been a few days since her father had given her his old computer lab, and neither her mother nor her father had come out of their room. And their reiatsu…

It would start off small, then get bigger, and bigger, then it would climax briefly. If Vicenta walked by during one of these climaxes, she would hear muffles screams and moans from inside. Then their reiatsu would bottom out for a several hours… after which it would start all over again.

Naïve as she was, Vicenta had a pretty good idea of what was going on in there… and it made her happy that her room was several corridors _away_ from their room.

She didn't want to hear _or_ feel what was going on in there…

Shaking her head, Vicenta turned and jogged back to her, yes _her_, computer lab, skip getting lighter and lighter as she went.

She and Grimmjow had gotten it cleaned a day or so ago, and now she was working on weeding out the good computers from the bad ones, not to mention salvaging what parts she could from the bad ones.

She'd even gotten a computer running.

Not that she could really use it as it was currently working on picking out her fathers old satellite connections, but having the blue glow of the screen to light up the dim lab was more that just a comfort; it gave her an almost overwhelming sense of pride.

To think that _she_ had made it all on her own… It was definitely better than fucking with her father's shit, that was for sure.

As she skipped into her lab, Vicenta shuddered with excitement. She couldn't wait to get started…

"Hey, Centa." Grimmjow, who was supposed to be moving the heavy pieces of useless equipment out but had ended up falling asleep in the chair in front of the currently only working computer, started as she walked in, staring at the screen in front of him, "We've got a connection here that I don't think is your old man's…"

Vicenta blinked, "Huh?" She sat down in the chair as he stood, hitting a key on the board to make the computer's main focus shift to the connection that was, indeed, not her fathers.

It loaded quickly, and once it had the image of a somber young woman with purple hair and green eyes.

Vicenta knew her… "L-Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?!"

Nemu blinked, "Vicenta Acere… I am under orders to, on the minimal chance that any Arrancar accesses this line, connect you straight thorough to the Captain-Commander. Please hold while I do so."

Vicenta and Grimmjow froze as the image faded to static, then cleared and snapped straight to a new image; An old man with a long, white beard and the haori of a captain sitting in a chair at the end of a long room.

"Arrancar…" The man sneered, his eyes narrowing, "So, I see some of you did survive…"

Not knowing what else to do, Vicenta panicked and said the only thing a child knows to say when they're on the phone with someone they don't know, "I think you want to talk to my mom!"

* * *

Hello, Rayna here! The new poll is up and the avatar of Vicenta is on my profile! Go look, read and vote, then come back next Tuesday to see the next avatar!


	46. XLVI Ambassador

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I stood outside of Vicenta's computer lab, pale, "Wh-what do you mean, he wants to talk to me?!"

"He's asking for you, specifically…" Vicenta rasped, pale, "I… After I said he'd want to talk to my mom, he asked for your name… And when he heard your name he got stuck on wanting to talk to you."

"I told him I was an Espada." Grimmjow grunted, "And he didn't even want to talk to me."

"You told him _what_?!" Szayel hissed, narrowing his eyes.

Grimmjow glared at him, sneering, "Figured it would be better to have an Espada talk to him than a human. Figured you might have preferred that…"

Szayel twitched, looking away and sighing.

"I… I'm sorry…" Vicenta wrung her hands, "I… I even said he'd be better off talking to Dad, but he's asking for you, Mom."

I stared around, lightheaded, "You've got to be kidding me… Four fucking former Espada, and it has to be the bitchy human? Hell, Stark would do better than I would! He's the former Primera! Send him in!"

Stark just yawned.

"…What about Halibel?! She's a straightforward, serious person!"

Halibel stared at me flatly, "He is asking for _you_, Aporro."

Breath getting short, I turned to Szayel, "Szay…?"

He stared at me for a moment, then sighed, "We all will go in. If the Captain-Commander is still adamant on talking to you, at least then you won't be alone."

"Is it wise to let them know that so many former Espada are alive?" Halibel looked around, her eyes narrowed critically, "If they know, they will pursue us."

"Two of their own captains already know where we are." Stark sighed, shrugging, "So it's too late to worry about being found… Besides, it's not like they can measure our power through a video connection, anyway. We'll just stick to the shadows so Aporro won't be alone."

The Espada exchanged glances, nodding, then pushed me through the door.

I stumbled through, and before I knew it I was standing in front of a screen, staring right into the barely open eyes of an old, intimidating man who could only be one person…

"Captain-Commander…" I mumbled, bowing.

"You are the one known as Aporro?" He asked sharply.

I winced, standing and nodding, "Yes, sir, I am…"

"And the human formerly known as 'Setsuko Nakamura'?"

"I…" I flinched, twitching, "I am."

"And now you are the representative of the surviving Arrancar…"

"That I am not." I winced when he narrowed his eyes, "I'm just the bitch who makes the rules that everyone generally follows… I have no authority."

"…Then who does?"

"No one." I shrugged, "We work together to survive. We govern ourselves and watch over one another to make sure no one fucks up. No specific person here has any official authority…" I paused, thinking, "Though I suppose if it came down to it, it would either have to be the person with the loudest voice or the most power." I paused again, then sighed and shifted, "Sir, why was it you needed to speak with me, specifically?"

"I wanted to gauge the severity of the situation so I could rank the importance of hunting the Arrancar down in comparison to the other matters that must taken care of in the aftermath of this war."

I stared at him, gapping, "H-Hunt us down?! What do you mean, hunt us down?! We haven't done anything!"

"You, perhaps." The man growled, "But that is questionable. The others around you, though—"

"No." I cut him off, standing straight, "If you're going to hunt us down, you're taking all of us. No exceptions."

"You are a human." He said firmly, glaring, "You do not belong in this war."

"Roughly one eighth of my genetic structure has been spliced with Arrancar." I countered, glaring back, "On top of that, I have a daughter, and I love the people here… Like I said, you take them, you're taking me with them."

"A daughter…" The Captain-Commander hissed while clenching his jaw, "The girl who I first spoke with, I take it? An abomina—"

"Her name is Vicenta Acere Grantz." I snapped, cutting him off and leaning in towards the screen, "And you will say nothing about her."

He paused, sitting back for a moment, "…How long do you think you can hide from us?"

"As long as it takes for you to give up." I shot back, then calmed and stood back, shrugging, "And you really have no reason to hunt us down. We aren't doing anything…" When he said nothing and glared at me flatly, I sighed, "Look, you all probably have a lot of work to do over there, right? Battlefields to clean up, funerals to plan, bodies to heal, repair to do in the human world… It may be too early to even talk about 'peace', but can't we come to some sort of truce?"

"'Truce'?" The captain narrowed his eyes, "'Peace'? My, you are presumptuous…"

"No, I'm ignorant." I sighed, "There's a difference. But that doesn't mean I'm not sincere. Do you think that if my wishes didn't represent the wishes of the others here that they would let me speak? No. I'd be shut up. You never would have even seen me in front of this terminal. But I am here, I am speaking, and despite the others who are in this room, listening to every word I say, no one is making a single move to silence me." I looked up at him, meeting his eyes, "And if you were really so concerned about us, you would have already found and killed us."

"…" The captain leaned back, sighing slightly, "Truce…"

"We lay down our arms and you lay down yours against us." I took his vocalization of the word as an invitation to start talking, "You won't hear from us, see us, or run into any resistance from any of us over here. You don't hunt us down or even try to find us. You take comfort in the fact that there are fewer Arrancar to deal with, we take comfort in the fact that we don't have to fear for our lives… at least, for the time being. We can talk more about this later, when we've all recovered and have the emotional energy to deal with it…"

The Captain-Commander was silent for a moment, then leaned forward again, his already narrow eyes narrowing even further, "What makes you think that you, a human, can keep those monsters at bay?"

I tensed, clenching my jaw. "You motherfu—"

"Aporro…" A heavy hand settled on my shoulder and I froze as Stark leaned forward, meeting the Captain-Commander's eyes evenly, "Look, we can sit here and talk about this shit all day long, but we both know that it is impossible for your kind to agree with ours. What Aporro is trying to do is… sweet…" He sighed, "But pretty words and promises and an idyllic vision won't change what you thinks of us. We'll stay out of your way, you probably won't ever find us, and you may well never hear from us again. Take solace in that; we are done fighting." Stark then reached out and turned the computer off.

I stared at the computer, hollow. "…'Sweet', Stark?"

"Undoubtedly." He rubbed the top of my head, turning and walking to the door, "But it'll never work. Just give up, okay? We'll be fine without ever dealing with the shinigami…"

I was silent as he and the others walked out, lowering my head when the door shut.

I felt Szayel standing behind me…

"I just… wanted to make things better…"

"…Unfortunately, Aporro, things… don't always work like that."

"I… I know…"

"…There is a human saying, you know…"

I glanced back, "There are several. What one are you talking about?"

Szayel shrugged, "Time heals all wounds."

I stared at him, then smirked, "That was so corny."

Szayel shuddered, smirking slightly, "Please don't ever make me say something like that again."

I rolled my eyes, "I'll try to be happier, then."

* * *

Turned out, I didn't have to try at all. I couldn't. I got too stressed. Four months after our last contact with the Seireitei, Jushiro and Shunsui showed up again, and they came with news.

"The Captain-Commander wants me to _what_?!" I gapped at them, suddenly very cold.

"Come act as the representative for the surviving Arrancar here." Jushiro nodded over his teacup, taking a sip before setting it down and going on, "A non-Arrancar, he believes, would be the best candidate to act as a sort of ambassador. He showed the recording of the last conversation you had with him to the rest of the Gotei—"

"He _recorded_ that?!"

"—and it was agreed that your proposal would be worth listening to." Jushiro finished, sighing.

"We're finally done dealing with everything else." Shunsui shrugged, "And now we can spend a bit more time on your situation, here. Since you all here seem adamant on laying down arms and peace, and since both of our sides suffered such heavy casualties, we'd like to listen to what you have to say before we act."

"And you want Aporro?" Szayel frowned. He, Stark and Halibel had all decided to sit in, and they didn't look happy about this, either. "Wouldn't it be better to have Halibel or Stark go? At least they are capable of taking care of themselves when surrounded by high-class shinigami…"

…While Szayel's lack of faith in me pissed me off, I had to agree with him. Even if I wasn't an Arrancar I didn't feel comfortable in going to the shinigami headquarters _at all_.

"C-can't we…" I shifted, wringing my hands, "Can't we just… you know… go our separate ways and forget about one another? I mean, fuck, going to the Seireitei… And I'm not a people person at all!" I looked up at the captains, eyes wide, "I _repel_ people! I am not a good choice for this at all!"

"Actually, like I said, you are the best." Jushiro shrugged, "You're not an Arrancar but you know what the Arrancar want. Because you are not an Arrancar, not only will you not feel the pressure to attack or defend yourself as greatly, the shinigami present won't be as tense. It would be a much safer environment for everyone…"

"And, of course," Shunsui started before the others could start protesting about the 'safeness', "You would be allowed to bring an entourage of two Arrancar. On top of that, neither Jushiro nor I would allow anything to happen. Both of us are heading this on our end."

"Unfortunately, Miss Aporro, you don't have much other choice…" Jushiro sighed, "If the Seireitei and the Arrancar don't make amends, war will come again, and this time none of you will live…"

…What the fuck… When in the fuck had so much come to ride on me and my goddamned mouth?! FUCK!!

I turned to Szayel, pleading silently for him to have something, _anything_, to say to get me out of this.

Szayel stared at me, then sighed and closed his eyes, "We had best start planning, Aporro."

"…You son of a bitch." I passed out.

* * *

When I woke, I was still angry.

"I won't go."

"And why not?" Szayel inquired with a noticeable level of disdain and mockery in his voice, his arm around my waist tightening slightly.

"Because," I grunted, turning in his arms to glare at him, "I'm not a good people person."

"After several years of being around you, I have gathered as much."

"…" I decided to strengthen my declaration, "I hate people."

"Of _course_ you do." Szayel rolled his eyes.

"…I'm a bad public speaker."

"Your speech, in general, is poor." He winced when I punched him in the gut. "Yet I see your right hook is as strong as ever…"

"I'm scared, Szayel…"

"I know…" Szayel sighed, "But so long as you pick a good entourage, you don't have anything to worry about. That, and Kyoraku and Ukitake hardly seem like the type to break their word… Though that doesn't mean you should trust them completely. They are, after all, still shinigami…"

"…So, you're saying if I have good guards, I'll be fine?" When Szayel nodded, I looked away, "Then you'll understand if I pick Stark and Halibel and not you…"

Szayel balked, blinking, "Stark and Halibel?"

I nodded, "Yeah… they're both reserved and levelheaded. They won't be distracted by observations, they don't have any personal vendettas with any of the shinigami…"

"…Sound reasoning." Szayel nodded.

"…If I die doing this, you can be damned sure I'll meet up with a Hollow. That way I can come back and haunt your ass with my loud wailing." I clenched his jacket, "Fuck, Szayel, if I die doing this—"

Szayel pulled me to him abruptly, grabbing my chin forcefully and making me meet his eyes, "You will not die, am I clear? Your life belongs to me."

I rolled my eyes, smirking him and closing the distance, "That is one fucked up way of telling me you love me." I kissed him.

Though he twitched and growled, Szayel said nothing to debunk my statement.

Haha! We're making progress!

* * *

Halibel nodded, "Very well, I accept. I will accompany you when you go to the Seireitei."

I nodded, bowing slightly, awkwardly, "Thank you, Halibel."

She nodded again, the corners of her eyes turning up slightly as she smirked, "Who is your other sentinel? Szayel Aporro?"

"No." I shook my head, "Stark. I was just on my way to ask."

"Stark?" Halibel quirked a brow up high, her chest actually heaving slightly as she chuckled a bit.

I sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know, but I trust him more than I do Grimmjow, and we need at least one conscious, levelheaded person here to watch the other Arrancar, so Szayel has to stay…"

"Point taken." The former Trecera nodded, "When do we leave?"

"Soon, I guess…" I shifted, "I'll go ask Stark, go see if Shunsui and Jushiro are awake and ready, then we'll get ready to go…"

"And our transport?"

"Apparently the shinigami have some kind of pseudo garganta that'll take us right where we need to be." I nodded, "We'll all meet out by the main doors in about an hour, alright?"

Halibel nodded, "Very well. Aporro." She bowed slightly, then turned and walked back into her room.

Sighing, I turned and trudged over to Stark's room, walking in. No point in being formal with him; he wouldn't answer no matter how loud I knocked.

"Hey, Aporro." Lilinette waved at me from her place on Stark's pile of beanbags, a book propped up in front of her face.

"Hey, Nette." I sighed, jumping up onto Stark's bed and walking across the large mattress towards him.

He snored on, mouth wide open and his face from the bridge of his nose up covered by a pillow.

I sighed again, staring down at him, "Stark, you are pathetic… C'mon." I kicked his leg, "Wake up."

He snorted, twisting and wiggling until the blankets were pushed down to his stomach. He reached up and scratched his chest in his sleep, grunting and snorting again, then went lax and started snoring all over.

I twitched.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Lilinette hissed.

"Very…" I mumbled, "So, what are my options again? Crushing his nuts, jumping on his stomach and shoving my hand down his throat?"

"Yyyyyep, those are the… _cleaner_ ways to wake him up."

…Though I was sorely tempted to ask, I didn't. Lilinette had little to no personal boundaries when it came to waking Stark up, and I had a feeling I really, _really_ didn't want to know her sicker methods…

"Alright, thanks." I crouched slightly, holding my arms out at my sides, "Alley-oop!!" I jumped, arching through the air a short ways before landing hard, digging my heels into Stark's gut.

Stark lurched forward, his eyes near popping out of his head as he let out a raspy grunt.

I grinned down at him, jumping to the side and watching as he writhed and hissed. "Morning, Sleepy!"

"Aporro…" Stark twitched, then turned and lunged, pinning me and glaring down at me, "What do you want?"

"You're my bodyguard!" I grinned up at him, "Pack your bags, we're going to the Seireitei!"

Stark twitched, "I hate you."


	47. XLVII Aporro makes a good Combat Dummy

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Okay, so I've spent, what… three to five years in that white hell? And it's been how long since the last time I saw the sun? And now not only do I get to see colors other than black and white, but I also get a _sun_ and _air_?!

FUCK YEAH!! I LOVE THE SEIREITEI!!

"SUUUUUUUUUUUNN!!" I cheered, raising my arms over my head and flopping back down onto the naturally warm dirt. _Natural, sun induced warmth_!! There is _nothing_ better, not even body heat.

Fuck the fact that I was getting dusty, and that I was getting stared at. I felt _fantastic_, and I was going to take a nap.

"Aporro…" Stark sighed, kicking my side lightly when I closed my eyes, "While I sympathize, you aren't making a very good first impression…"

I twitched, suddenly very, _veeeery_ aware of just _how_ many stares I was getting…

I sat up, looking around and shifting nervously when I saw we were surrounded by every fucking captain and lieutenant this place had to offer…

"Eh-heh… Hi!"

"YOU!!"

I jumped, yelping when I was grabbed and jerked to my feet and spun around, Stark's heavy hands settling on my shoulders and settling me. I blinked at who I face, shocked.

"…Uryu? Uryu Ishida?"

"Szayel Aporro Grantz!" Uryu spat, raising his arm and summoning his bow.

"Not Szayel, not Szayel!" I yelped, raising my hands over my head in surrender. In a flash, though, Halibel and Stark were in front of me, the former with her sword drawn and the latter slumped lazily, rubbing the back of his head and sighing in annoyance.

The shinigami all tensed and Shunsui and Jushiro stepped forward quickly, raising their arms.

Uryu, though, wasn't about to back down, and in turn neither was Halibel, who was acting several steps ahead of Stark and was raising her reiatsu.

I started with a jolt, then ran forward, drawing Stark's zanpakuto as I ran by him and diving passed Halibel. I swung the sword up blindly as an arrow flew at us, knocking it skyward while reaching out with my other hand to hold Halibel back.

She barely managed to draw her sword back before she struck me, her reiatsu dispersing in a quick and violent burst from the center of her sword.

Lowering my head, I clamped my eyes shut and gritted my teeth as the blast sent me skidding to the side for several feet before I slammed into a small, somewhat frail body that gave way under the pressure and fell back, sending us both tumbling across the hot dirt.

We both groaned when we finally came to a stop, and when I blearily blinked open my eyes again I groaned again when I was faced with white. What is the _deal_ with people and _white_?!

"Uhh…"

I looked up into Uryu's shocked blue eyes, blinking flatly, "Well, nice to see you again, too."

"Y-Y-You're not Szayel Aporro! You're a… a girl!"

"Wonderful observation, Einstein." I drawled, hissing at the pain in my back and hip as I pushed myself up. I then reached back down for him with my free hand, pulling him up when he hesitantly took it, "Hey, I got enough of your shuriken/bow of doom the _last_ time we fought; can I please not get another shot to the neck?"

"Yeah…" He blinked, then shook his head, "Wait, that _was_ you?!"

"Long story short, don't ever obey Szayel and pop the pills he hands you." I sighed, turning back to Stark and Halibel and limping back to them, handing Stark his zanpakuto, "Sorry…"

"You alright?" Stark ignored my apology and sheathed his sword, turning me around and looking over my back.

"Fine, fine." I sighed, brushing him off, "It was an accident… More importantly," I looked around, "No one else got hit, right?"

"Other than you and the Quincy boy? No."

"Good." I sighed.

"…Miss Nakamura, I presume?"

I twitched, barely holding back a scowl as I turned towards the Captain-Commander's voice, "Actually, it's Apo—" I froze.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genriusai was _waaaaaaaaay_ scarier in person than he was on a screen, and he was already pretty damned scary on a screen. First off, even though he's slouched, you can tell even from a distance that he's huge, and not just in height, but in stature. He's also ripped; you can see the muscles through his fresh yet well-worn robes.

And that flat look he pins you with… There's nothing scarier.

"—rro…" I finished weakly.

"Very well, then, _Aporro_." The Captain-Commander grumbled, eyelids parting to reveal narrowed, irritated brown eyes. "I am the Captain-Commander Shingekuni Yamamoto-Genryusai, Captain of the First Division and temporary authority of the Central 46 Chambers."

"Err…" I saluted, "I'm Aporro… Experiment of the Project Serial File 4487 of the laboratories of the former Octava Espada Szayel Aporro Grantz and temporary ambassador of the remaining forces of the Arrancar…" This old man thinks he's the only one who can pull long-winded titles out of his ass? Ha! Wrong! I can, too!

The elderly man nodded, "Welcome to the Seireitei…"

…Nice as that sounded, I had a feeling this first impression sucked ass.

* * *

"Mrow…" I sighed, slumping down and pulling a towel down onto my wet head, "Today sucked." And I had the scrapes, burns and bruises on my back to prove it, I had discovered after a long soak at the onsen.

"Take this." Halibel ordered, pushing a small cup of something thick and green across the low table towards me, nodding to it, "Captain Unohana said it would help dull the pain and make the healing process speedier."

I flinched, setting my chin on the table and staring down into the cup, poking it, "I like Szayel's stuff better… it doesn't have any substance and it doesn't smell…"

"Yet they both serve the same purpose; healing." Stark grunted, reaching out and nudging me in the back with his foot, "Drink it."

"Go back to sleep, Stark." I grumbled, pushing the cup away and laying my head down.

He nudged me again, "Not before you drink that. C'mon, Aporro, I'm tired… Just drink it."

"You don't have to stay awake until I drink it, you know—"

"Aporro, drink it." Halibel ordered, more forceful than before.

I twitched. Being confined with two former Espada in a small apartment was turning out to be more annoying than being confined with just Szayel… At least Szayel was usually too busy to notice when I was ill unless the symptoms were obvious or I complained.

These, two, though… Halibel was always extremely observant and Stark was too in-tuned with people he had invested even the most minute level of personal interest.

I wasn't getting out of drinking this.

"Fuckin' a…" I grumbled, picking up the cup and swirling the contents around.

"Aporro…"

"Screw you, Stark." I winced, then downed the gritty, thick, shitty-tasting green goop. I stared to gag almost immediately, then choked and gulped it down when I received a swift, sound slap to the back.

WHICH WAS STILL FUCKING SORE FROM THAT EARLIER BLAST OF HALIBEL'S REIATSU!! SON OF A BITCH!!

A choked wail escaped from my mouth and I fell over, curling up and writhing in the intense blaze of pain that swept across my back.

"Aw, fuck, Aporro…" Stark winced, sitting up and reaching out hesitantly, "I'm so—"

I kicked him in the jaw, groaning and rolling onto my back, "You're forgiven…"

Stark slumped back against the wall, holding his jaw and staring down at me with wide eyes. "…Ow…"

I sat up, wincing and tearing as my back bent, "Ow…"

Halibel sighed heavily, "Morons…"

"Hey, this is your fault, too, you know…" I grumbled, rubbing at the tears of pain with the backs of my hands, "If you hadn't drawn and gotten ready to attack—"

"I was doing my duty and defending you." Halibel scowled, "And if you had paid attention, you would have noticed there was no killing force behind my attack; I was simply planning on stunning him."

"Which could have easily been done without drawing your zanpakuto." I rasped, clamping my eyes shut and leaning forward against my knees heavily, "A small, barely charged cero would have been just fine. They fucking outnumber us, Halibel, and they have more reason and right to attack us than we do them; we are the ones who have to show restraint."

"Aporro, lay down." Stark sighed, sitting up and pushing me down onto my stomach. "And that doesn't change the fact that the boy drew on you, first. Yes, Halibel and I are here mainly to protect you from the high-ranking officers, but you were in danger. We acted accordingly."

I winced when he took the towel off of my head and draped the damp, warm cloth across my thoroughly abused back, shuddering, "S-Sorry… Being high-strung… makes me a bitch…"

"Understandable." Stark nodded, "Now, sleep."

"…Next to the table?"

"Too little room in here to lay out three futons. Besides, it's warm here… At least, warmer than what we're used to. Do you really want to lay out beds?"

"Not really…" I mumbled, already half out. Fuck, even if it wasn't meant to be slept on, tatami felt so good… Especially after so many years of stone flooring.

"Then go ahead and go to sleep. Halibel and I will take shif—"

I was already out.

* * *

When I woke again, it was still late; I could tell by how dark it was on the other side of the shoji paper I was facing… Wait, facing? Hadn't I gone to sleep staring at Halibel's legs from the other side of the table? Why had I been moved…?

I then realized what had woken me up; in intense spiritual pressure and the absence of Stark and Halibel.

Frowning, I stumbled to my feet and pulled the light, white kimono I had been provided close in lieu of my tattered, burnt uniform, retying the sash before walking through the still open sliding door.

I looked up and down the walkway, tense. We were staying in the private barracks of the eighth division, though it's not like you could really tell… there were no marks to distinguish it as eighth and all of the halls I'd seen so far looked the same.

Oh well, though… at least they weren't white and stone. And they were opened to the sky…

"Fuck." I winced when the spiritual pressure increased, turning and running towards it.

I recognized one of the pressures, but I wished I didn't… because if I was right about who it was, things were fucked. Because everything would go downhill, the Captain-Commander would blame me, and I would have my ass handed to me on a silver platter…

"KUROSAKI!!"

"JAEGERJAQUEZ!!"

…Aw, fuck, it _was_ Grimmjow…

"Shit!" I ran faster, tearing around the corner only to draw to a quick stop.

A large group of shinigami had gathered at the entrance yard of the eighth division and were watching as some orange-haired kid and Grimmjow went at it.

I ran over to Stark and Halibel when I spotted them, "What in the hell is going on?!"

"Grimmjow followed us…" Halibel muttered, sighing as the two dove at one another, "He tried to find us but ran into Ichigo, instead."

I blinked, "Ichigo?"

"The carrot top." Stark grumbled, yawning, "We would have woken you, but whatever it is that Unohana gave you knocked you out." He said the last part enviously, glancing down at me and pouting slightly.

I rolled my eyes up at him, smirking slightly.

"Isn't that Vicenta?"

This last part made my smirk drop immediately and I spun back towards the fight, eyes widening when I saw that Vicenta was, indeed, on the other side of the battle site, watching Grimmjow and Ichigo fight with wide eyes. She was too wrapped up in the fight to pay attention to her surroundings, and the two fighting nimrods were completely oblivious to her presence…

"SHIT!" I ran forward, jumping between Ichigo and Grimmjow as they jumped back from one another for a moment before leaping at one another again…

"Fuck!" Grimmjow yelped, pulling back when he nearly brought his sword down on my forehead.

I glared up at him as the blade came to a stop in my bangs, a few strands of hair falling. "You are _so_ fucking lucky that you missed my—" Pain bloomed all throughout my right shoulder.

"Shit!" Someone behind me swore.

"…Motherfucker…" I mumbled, closing my eyes and opening them slowly as something hot and wet started to run down my arm, "I got cut by a fucking sword, didn't I?"

Grimmjow shrugged, "You did run out in the middle of a fight…." He then looked over my head and snarled at Ichigo.

"Grimmjow, calm the fuck down before I have Stark or Halibel use caja negacion on you…" I rasped, closing my eyes again and swaying as the sword was pulled from my back.

"Fuck…" Grimmjow hissed, grabbing my arms before I fell.

"…Being an ambassador sucks…" Was the last thing I remembered saying before everything went black.


	48. XLVIII My Setsuko…

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't require more recovery time?" Yamamoto asked with a quirked brow, several captains sharing his sentiments, similar looks and all.

"Oh, _yeeaah_." I waved him off, grinning slightly, "One of my aspects that Szayel strengthened dramatically was my endurance; I've been hurt _way_ worse and still managed to walk around."

"The Arrancar hurt you?" The captain jumped on this immediately, narrowing his eyes.

I blinked, "No, I wasn't thinking about that… I mean when he," I pointed to Uryu, "Shot me in the neck, then blew me up with his Sprenger technique, and when he," I pointed to Renji, next, "Blew me up with his hado or kido-thingy explosion of doom…" I twitched, "Both of which really, _really_ fucking hurt, I'll give them that."

"Wait…" Uryu interrupted tentatively, frowning, "So… that _was_ you? Who was Szayel Aporro and who was you?"

I sighed, "Lesse… I was the one who walked out in the beginning when Renji fell through the trap with that tiki-masked Arrancar, all the way up to when I ate Lumina and left, then it was Szayel who came out and released Fornicaras and battled up until Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo ate him, then it was me who came out of Nemu when _Gabriel_ reanimated me, after which Captain Kurotsuchi stabbed me when the drugs that were in Nemu's womb started to slow me down…"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice their differences in reiatsu, Quincy." Mayuri rolled his eyes when Uryu glared at him, "They were really quite transparent."

"Yeeahhh…" I drawled after a moment, shaking, "Anyway…"

"How did you escape Captain Kurotsuchi's drug?" Renji asked suddenly, doing his best to ignore the glare his captain shot at him and scowling at me.

I tilted my head, "I don't know, really… After I stopped moving, I blocked everything out and just kinda curled into a little ball for…" I shuddered, swaying slightly, "Fuck, I don't know how long… Humans aren't meant to live that long, so I really couldn't comprehend it all… I just remember… wanting to die…" Everything went a bit spiny and I felt lightheaded…

"Aporro." Halibel sighed, smacking me upside the head.

"But we aren't here to talk about me!" I blinked, shaking my head and snapping out of it, "We're here to talk about an armistice!" I paused, blinking. Holy shit, I can't believe I actually managed to use that word in a sentence! I mean, I'm not a complete idiot or anything, but still… I don't often use big words in everyday speech.

"An armistice… with the Hollows?!" Someone spat.

I turned on the person, frowning at the white-haired, blue-eyed shorty glaring at me, "With the Hollows? Don't be stupid. It's your job protect the humans and the human world from the creatures who invade it with ill intent. Just like you all, the Hollows are a naturally occurring force in this world; neither of you can help but fight one another. But this fight with the Arrancar… with Aizen no longer forcing anyone to do anything, now the fight _can_ be helped."

"The Arrancar are an abomination to the natural order." I turned, balking slightly at the huge, fox/dog-faced captain who had spoken.

"But they're alive just like you, aren't they? And they have free will. And they… they have families…"

The fox/dog captain frowned, "Families?"

I blinked, paused, then pointed to Vicenta, who was standing in the back of the room with Grimmjow, Halibel and Stark on either side of me, "For those of you who don't know, that is Vicenta Acere Grantz. She is my daughter, and her father is the former Octava, Szayel Aporro Grantz." This raised a great uproar that made me stop and pinch the bridge of my nose, my head already aching, "Fuuuuuck…"

Someone picked that moment to walk in, chuckling over the uproar, "Yep, my Setsu has _definitely_ been here…"

I froze and the uproar slowly died on my ears, the others around me still arguing but my hearing failing.

The contents of my stomach turned to slush, my blood went cold, and my mind jerked to a halt.

I… I knew… that voice…

I knew it…

It was _him_.

I turned to face him slowly, my eyes starting at his feet and working their way up.

He still had those school-standard grey sneakers, formal grey pants, formal high-neck collar grey jacket…

And then I met his eyes.

Him…

* * *

For the first time in a while, Szayel performed a vivisection.

After Aporro had stumbled across him in the middle of removing a section of ribs from a shinigami specimen, she had reacted so badly that he had initially decreased the frequency of the procedures, then, after a while, ceased, completely.

Not that he had much left in the world to vivisect… Still, it was nice to be performing fieldwork again. Needed or not, it was… stress relieving.

And after not only Aporro had left, but Vicenta had followed soon after, Szayel had… admittedly felt a bit out of whack.

Vicenta's departure had been unplanned, and not only would it complicate the situation with making peace with the Seireitei, Aporro would more than likely "kick his ass", as she would say, for letting not just their daughter, but also the former Sexta escape the complex and invade the Soul Society.

So, yes, Szayel was stressed.

He was glad, though, that Aporro was gone; he didn't have to worry about her stumbling in and having another breakdown, this time at seeing him remove six feet of Lumina's intestines.

"W-Wonderful work, Master…" Lumina muttered, wailing slightly as he set the intestinal tract aside and started poking at his gallbladder.

"Hmm…" Szayel picked up a scalpel, twirling it around between his fingers.

Though he wouldn't say what he was feeling was necessarily the same as what humans felt, Szayel would admit, to himself only, that he felt something akin to… _missing_ Aporro.

For her foul temper, dirty mouth, rude manner of speech, her severe disregard for his work…

Szayel twitched, realizing just how much she pissed him off.

Still, for all she pissed him off, there was something about her that… drew him in.

Maybe I was her undying devotion, or perhaps her domineering attitude in bed, and the fact that she looked like him certainly didn't help him in turning her down… (Szayel sighed to himself when he realized, once again, that he was rather narcissistic.)

Whatever it was, though, had made him devote himself to her.

Made him feel… some level of contentment when he had found out she had been carrying his child.

True, Vicenta had been… unplanned, to say the least. And Aporro was human…

By his own standards, Szayel should have aborted the child.

And he hadn't not done it because he didn't approve of abortion; Szayel had terminated countless embryos in the biological studies sections of his various laboratories, and never once had he felt any level of remorse.

But, no, this child… He had wanted it.

Szayel had wanted Vicenta.

And, in wanting that child, Szayel had committed himself to mating with Aporro for the rest of their lives, natural or otherwise…

He, of course, knew that her time would come well before his; Aporro had been right. Humans weren't meant to live forever; she had recovered fairly well from her mind's centuries in the Superhuman Drug state, but it had only been by drugs that had helped her forget.

In what would be a lifetime for her but soon enough if not all too soon, for him, Aporro would come to her natural death, if not an unnatural one before that.

Yes, he could lengthen her lifespan greatly; indefinitely, if need be, by replacing organs and various skin grafts.

Even if she ended up more Arrancar than human, he could easily lengthen her lifespan.

But there was nothing he could do for the mental deterioration that would ultimately take place; that was something not even he could stop.

And Szayel… admittedly enough, he dreaded the day when he would have to sit at her side and watch her life fade. When she would lay before him, looking as young as she did now but sounding grotesquely old, having a gaze in her eyes that would show just how many centuries she had seen, show just how old she was…

It was a ghastly image.

Szayel shook his head, focusing on Lumina's gallbladder.

He would worry about that when the time came; for now, he had to occupy himself by poking around with his Fraccion's innards.

"Master Szayel Aporro!"

Lumina wailed as Szayel's hand slipped, the blade slipping into the soft yet thick lining of the pink flesh of the rather unimportant organ. Still, unimportant as it was, Szayel sighed to realize that Lumina was probably in a fair amount of pain…

"Be quiet, Lumina." He ordered, injecting the Fraccion with a fast acting painkiller before turning to Verona as Lumina's wails faded, "Yes?"

"A change in Master Aporro's pulse and respiration patters, Master!" Verona squeaked, wringing her hands, "She appears to be in distress!"

Szayel was running to his computers instantly, the fact that he had left one of his Fraccion flayed open not even present in his mind.

Something was wrong with Aporro, and that was all he needed to know to drop everything else.

He sat down at his main computer and typed away, frowning when he saw Aporro's vitals.

They were spiking and dropping dramatically and quick, one after the other. Her red blood and white blood cell counts were consistent, though, so she wasn't injured… and her brain activities were near off the charts, as were several hormones, and even her testosterone levels were abnormally high. And though her estrogen levels were excessively high to counter this, it still didn't change the fact that she was clearly in distress.

And extreme distress, at that.

A few more typed keys brought up Stark and Halibel's vitals, and Szayel frowned to see that they were normal, if a tad jittery, themselves. Again, no indications of injury… Just minute pattern changes to show stress.

They were all experiencing something that was causing them varying levels of anxiety, and whatever it was it was affecting Aporro the greatest.

Szayel ground his teeth, frustrated with his inability to observe what was going on.

He knew that Stark and Halibel would save her if things did get serious, but still… it angered him that he was powerless.

No matter how pissy Aporro would have been with him if she had found it, Szayel should have injected her with more advanced observer parasites. No matter how angry, how violent, how she would have refused to talk to him, sleep with him, even if she had banished him to the couch (wouldn't have been the first time, anyway), no matter what… Szayel knew he should have taken greater measures to involve himself.

And now he was stuck in the dark, forced to do nothing but stare at vitals and interpret them as psychological conditions, but unable to identify the causes of change, the only thing that really mattered.

After all, he couldn't plan a proper treatment for the stress if he didn't know the cause…

Sighing heavily, Szayel sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose.

This was one of the reasons he never let Aporro travel anywhere unaccompanied; she always managed to get herself into trouble.

He should have gone, he realized.

Either Halibel or Stark could have stayed behind to act as overseer, though Szayel would have preferred it had been Stark; Szayel was still rather annoyed with the former Primera for what had (or hadn't) occurred between him and Aporro…

Still, he knew Aporro the best out of the three; he should have gone.

He would have been able to do something…

For a moment, Szayel thought of the two-way radiochip he had installed in Aporro's skull… but that idea died.

While Aporro may not have noticed, the chip had been damaged months ago in the battle with Kurotsuchi. Szayel would have fixed it were it not for the still-healing scar tissue… Surgery to the head required excessive amounts of time to allow for healing, and any procedure was out of the question for now.

And until Aporro got back, Szayel had no idea what was going on…

And again, he was stressed.

Sighing heavily, Szayel stood and wandered back to his lab to continue vivisecting Lumina, wondering just what it was that was causing Aporro so much distress…

* * *

Rage.

Deep, deep rage that settled over my eyes in a blood red sheen, giving everything I saw a scarlet tint.

I'm going to kill him…

I am going to lunge, attack, and kill him…

Him… standing there with that goddamned smile on his face, looking like everything is okay in the world…

Him…

I am going to kill him…

Him and his insipid "How nice to see you again" smile…

The fucker…

He smiled, "Setsuko… My Setsu…"

"…Kohaku…"

Rage.


	49. XLIX Men Are A…holes

*sheepish*…Eh-heh, sorry it's later than usual. I've been on a _Tales of the Abyss_ binge for a good three days now, and between that and work my brain has been fried.

…Anyone else out there think Jade Curtiss is hot? *sighs* I swear, if they're not feminine scientists then they've got long-ish dark hair and are withdrawn and silent (*cough*Stark*cough*). Yyyep, those are Rayna's tastes. And in _Tales of the Abyss_, it's Jade. No contenders. No questions. Jade Curtiss. Hotness with glasses, red eyes and a mocking smile. And that uniform! *drools* Hmm… Maybe I'll write a TotA fic…

Anyway, things are starting to tone down with this fic… Now I've just gotta write an end.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Setsuko…" Kohaku smiled, holding out his arms and walking towards me slowly.

I stared at him, frozen, my heart pounding in my ears, heat slowly building up in my neck as my pulse raced faster and faster.

I barely had time to see Stark and Halibel tense on either side of me as my focus narrowed, my own body tensing.

"I've missed you so much…" Kohaku mumbled, barely able to be heard over the uproar the shinigami were still in.

Still, his words rang clear in my head… and those were the last words that rang clear.

After that, all I heard was static and the sound of my own angry screaming.

Kohaku's eyes went wide as I ran forward, swinging a sword I don't remember grabbing at him.

He raised his arm and the sword met it, cutting through the sleeve but clanging against something underneath, jerking to a halt. Tremors ran down the blade and to the hilt, sending shivering pain up my arms and rattling my brain.

I jumped back, digging my heels into the ground and diving back in, swinging.

Kohaku blocked again with the same arm, his sleeve shredding completely and fluttering away to reveal a metal bracer.

Kohaku crossed his arms over his chest and captured the sword I was wielding in the formed niche, throwing his arms forward and pushing me back. He then slid his right foot back and held his arms out in front of him in a loose, basic fighting stance, reiatsu glowing a dull brown around his knuckles like gauntlets.

I growled, going to lunge again but stopping with four hands grabbing me and holding me back effortlessly, two on each arm.

"—rro… Aporro!" Someone was shouting in my ear, "Aporro, snap out of it!"

"Let me go!" I flailed, "I'll kill him! I'll kill that son of a bitch for what he did to me!"

The uproar from before had grown as several of the shinigami tensed, preparing to draw their zanpakuto. Ichigo and several of his friends, who were observing from the back, had already prepped their weapons, and there was now a triangle of orange energy in front of Kohaku, shielding him.

"You fucking coward!" I screamed, twisting back and forth, "Quit hiding and get the fuck over here so I can skin you! You bastard! I hate you, I HATE YOU!!"

"S-Setsu?" Kohaku muttered, stepping back.

"Don't you DARE fucking act so innocent, you fucking coward! You think I don't remember?! YOU LEFT ME THERE TO DIE!! YOU TURNED AND RAN!! You couldn't see WHAT the fuck was killing me, but you RAN!! YOU LEFT ME!"

"Aporro!" Stark barked, wrapping his arm around my waist and hefting me off of the ground, twisting my wrist sharply and kicking the sword to the side when it fell. "Stop! Now!"

"He RAN, Stark! He told me he loved me and then he RAN!" I shuddered, going lax and heaving, "Th-There was… so much blood… everywhere… and pain…" I glared at Kohaku, shaking, "He didn't have a fucking _lick_ of spiritual pressure back then, and he didn't know what the _fuck_ was killing me, but he _ran_! He saw me dying and he _ran_!!"

At this point Kohaku was pale, the reiatsu around his knuckles wavering before it dissipated into the air.

"See?! He doesn't even fucking deny it!" I hissed, starting to struggle again, "Let me go, Stark. I'm going to rip him to pieces."

"Aporro, no." Stark muttered firmly.

Growling, I turned on Kohaku and narrowed my eyes, "You wanna know what the last fucking thing on my mind was before I woke up in Las Noches? I was begging you, you motherfucker. I was begging you to come back and save me. I was in so much fucking pain I still have _nightmares_ about it. I fucking wake up _screaming_ at night because _you left me_."

"Aporro, stop."

"And even if no one here lets me kill you, I hope that, for the rest of your fucking life, you remember this moment. I hope you _fucking_ remember how you're feeling now, and I hope you understand just how much I fucking _loathe_ you, you piece of _shit_. I hope you never have another fucking peaceful day. And when you do die, I hope it's slow and painful and that I'm there to _see_ it…"

"Aporro, shut up. Now."

I fell silent, panting heavily and staring straight into Kohaku's wide, panicked brown eyes, standing out against his ashen face.

He stumbled back, then turned and ran out.

* * *

Of course, after all of that, the Captain-Commander decided it was best we adjourn for the day.

And in retrospect, I'm really fucking lucky he didn't decide to execute Stark, Halibel, Grimmjow, Vicenta and I right there.

When we got back to our apartment, Vicenta sat beside Grimmjow in the back, silent, while Halibel stood against the wall, leaning back with her arms crossed.

Stark was sitting across from me at the table, leaning against his hand and watching my sake intake lazily, pulling the jug back every now and then when he felt I was going too quick.

Other than the clatter of porcelain every now and then, we were mostly silent.

It wasn't until Jushiro, Shunsui and his lieutenant came to visit that we spoke about what had happened…

"Hellooo, all!" Shunsui greeted jovially, grinning and waving around a fresh jug of sake. "Who can I interest in a drink?!"

Having run out of sake, I raised my hand silently.

"Thought so!" The captain grinned, flopping down and taking my cup.

"So…" I started morosely as he handed it back, looking down at the clear liquid before picking the saucer up and swirling it around, "When is my execution?"

Shunsui chuckled, shaking his head, "No executions."

"Actually, we came to apologize…" Jushiro shook his head.

"…Apologize?" I mumbled, sipping a bit of sake.

"Mr. Watanabe was not supposed to be allowed onto the First Division premise while you were present, Miss Nakamura." Shunsui's lieutenant said, adjusting her glasses before lowering her head in a half-bow.

I twitched, downing the rest of the sake.

"She prefers 'Aporro', Nanao." Shunsui nudged his lieutenant in the side, then turned back to me and nodded, "Actually, Kohaku's walk-in was unplanned and unsanctioned; a complete mistake on our part. Our security was lax…"

I sighed, pouring and downing more sake, then laid my head down on the table, "What is he even doing here?"

"He fought in the war." Jushiro shrugged, "Kohaku moved to Karakura several years ago, and the sudden surge of the spiritual pressure of the substitute shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, encouraged Kohaku's spiritual growth. Because he fought in the war, like the others he had a right to learn more about the possible peace… Of course, this was before we knew of the past between you and him."

"Hmm." I downed more sake.

"…We also came to make sure you were well, Miss Aporro."

I looked up at Nanao blearily, "Sake makes everything numb… I'm good." I downed more sake.

Stark sighed, "Aporro, you're supposed to _savor_ sake, not down it like water."

I stared at him for a moment, then downed more sake.

Stark sighed again.

I pushed my cup aside and laid my head back down on the table.

"…Miss Aporro, it would be best if you went home now."

I looked up at Jushiro, blinking, "…Why?"

He sighed, smiling wearily, "You have done an excellent job so far, Miss Aporro, but peace is something that takes time. It will be years before we are ready to negotiate any kind of permanent treaty… It would be best to think of this as an introductory period. Now everyone needs time to cool off…"

I nodded slowly, "Home sounds good…" I picked up and nursed a new cup of sake.

Shunsui smirked, "You like sake?"

"Never really had it before…" I mumbled, staring at him blearily, "Tastes good, though…"

"Never had it?" Shunsui and Jushiro exchanged looks, Nanao sighing heavily and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"N…Nevr…" When in the hell had I started slurring? …And when in the hell had the room gotten so damned spiny… And when had I leaned down to look at the ta—

_Thunk._

"…Owie…" My head hurt…

Stark sighed, "Aporro, you're done drinking."

"…Otay…" I loosened my grip weakly as he took the saucer from my hand, relaxing and closing my eyes. "Night-night…"

"…Goodnight, Aporro."

* * *

"…She really has no tolerance, does she?" Shunsui drawled amusedly a few minutes after Aporro's breathing had evened out.

"No." Stark sighed heavily, "She doesn't…" He then glanced at the shinigami, "We will leave tomorrow."

Jushiro nodded evenly, "I will have word sent to the Captain-Commander. We will contact you when we are ready to proceed with further development of the preliminary outlining of the treaty."

"…You didn't have to do this…" Stark muttered after a moment, leaning his chin on his hands. His words had come out in his usual lazy drawl, but neither of the captain's noticed the flash in his eyes, nor the implied question on the end of the observation.

The Arrancar were still suspicious…

And they had reason to be.

Even if it had been Aizen who had forced them, directed them, incited all of this, the fact remained that the Arrancar were sentient beings who had chosen to fight in this war in an attempt to take down all of the Soul Society.

And the words of a human weren't nearly enough to assure the shinigami that the Hollow half-breeds had no further plans of conquest…

More, Aporro had been a surface measurement of just how much of a common knowledge a possible second assault might be.

And she had been adamant enough in her words that the shinigami, at the very least, were convinced that the whole remaining nest of Arrancar weren't in on any sort of plot…

Rather, now they had to worry about a possible smaller, secret sect within the nest, instead…

Still, a smaller sect was less of a worry than a larger, so for now the Seireitei was satisfied.

"We want peace." Shunsui finally answered Stark's almost-question, smiling easily, "Just as you do."

The former Primera stared at the captain for a moment, then nodded, yawning widely and slumping forward onto the table, next to Aporro.

Taking this as their signal to leave, the two captains chuckled and stood, the somewhat exasperated lieutenant following suit, bowing formally as they left.

"…Negotiations are kinda confusing…" Vicenta muttered a moment after the door had slid shut, frowning slightly, "To many unspoken conversations going on…"

"Preciesely why I fuckin' hate negotiatin'." Grimmjow grumbled sourly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall behind him in a subconscious pout, "Gimme a sword and some dumbass to beat down any day. Leave the talkin' to smartass bastards like him." He pointed at Stark.

Vicenta glanced at him, biting her lip to hold back a giggle, "You're sulking…"

"Wha…?!" Grimmjow threw her a glare, unknowingly pourting harder, "No I'm not!"

"Yes, you are…" Vicenta bit her lip harder, unable, though, to hold back the grin on her face. He looked so damned cute…

"Hmph." Grimmjow looked away, glaring when he saw Halibel throwing him an amused look, "_Anyway_, looks like we're going home tomorrow…"

Vicenta sighed heavily, "Yay… Back to the rathole to hang out with a pissy Douchebag."

"…" Grimmjow smirked, "That is so wrong on so many levels…"

Vicenta looked at him, frowning, "I'm not sure I wanna know how you know how those two subjects relate…"

His smirk widened, "You probably don't."

"…" Vicenta stared at him for a moment longer, taking a bit of time to absorb what he had implied. She then stood abruptly and walked out of the room.

Grimmjow satred after her, blinking, "…Wha…"

"…Grimmjow…" When he turned to face her, Halibel sent him a flat look, "I believe this is where Aporro would say 'You are a dumbass'."

The former Sexta twitched.

* * *

Vicenta wasn't stupid.

Really, she wasn't…

But she was ignorant, and that had clearly been shown when she had been caught so off guard at the idea that Grimmjow had had previous sex partners.

Not that she could say much; they were nowhere near _that_ point in their relationship.

…Still… it hurt…

It hurt thinking about him with other girls… No, other _women_.

And then it struck Vicenta just how young she really was.

Grimmjow was far older than her, far more experienced… And she… she was just inadequate.

Why he had chosen her was beyond her… Then again, she did have a few ideas, one being her, at times, overwhelming naivety.

Still… to say something like that in front of her…

Vicenta twitched and stopped walking, staring up at the sky and sighing, "Mom's right… Men are assholes."


	50. L Sincerity

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

I noticed right off that something was wrong with Vicenta and Grimmjow…

Really, what mother wouldn't?

Still, Vicenta wasn't hurt or crying, and Grimmjow wasn't harassing her, so I figured I would wait until one of them came to me… Besides, it wasn't like there was much I could do while we were still in the Seireitei.

"There's one last thing I want to do before we leave…" I started, nodding to the Captain-Commander as our group stood before the markers where the pseudo garganta would open, "I'm sorry for not mentioning earlier, but it's kind of a touchy subject…" I sighed, "I want to see the Arrancar you all still have in custody here."

The captains who had come to see us off tensed, all of them glancing at Yamamoto,

I kept eye contact with him as he stared at me, his face blank. "…Very well, then."

* * *

"Illforte!" Much as I hated the perverted bastard, I hated to see him in the position he was in even more. "Cut him down!" I ran forward and caught him as someone complied, crashing to the ground and shielding him from smacking his head.

There were several other Arrancar dangling around the room, bound to the ceiling with ropes made of some kind of hard, white substance that glowed oddly every now and then, but Illforte was the first one I recognized.

"Ugh…" Illforte's vermillion eyes blinked open slowly and he stared up at me, "…Szayel…" He corrected himself almost immediately, though, smirking as he did, "No… you're his human… Aren't you a sight for sore eyes…"

I sighed heavily, unable to hold back a slight smile at the fact that he was still capable of coherent thought, "Good to see you, too, I think…"

"Did we win?" He rasped, struggling to sit up and looking around, "Is that why you're here?"

"…No, Illforte. We lost." When he went back to staring at me, confusion painfully evident on his pale, weak features, I sighed, "Aizen is gone. I was here to discuss a truce… But I don't want to talk about that right now." I looked up, watching as Halibel, Stark and Grimmjow went around, cutting down more Arrancar, "Let's just get you and the others out of here… Vicenta. Get over here and help me with your uncle."

"Uncle?" Illforte repeated weakly, staring at Vicenta as soon as she came into view and watching, wincing slightly, as she helped me pick him up, "Szayel finally boned you?"

I smirked, "More like the other way around, but like I said, we can catch up later. For now I just want to get you all out of here." I nodded to Vicenta, who knelt and grabbed Illforte's legs while I wrapped my arms around his upper body and lifted.

Grimmjow came back with two, one over each shoulder, Halibel with two under her arms, and Stark cradling one.

Six… Six Arrancar captured during the course of the war.

"There aren't any in Captain Kurotsuchi's labs, are there?" I asked, turning to the Captain-Commander.

"…There shouldn't be…" Yamamoto turned on Kurotsuchi, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Arrancar? In my lab?" Kurotsuchi put on his most dubious look and tilted his head, scratching his temple and mumbling in a light, untroubled tone, "Well, there shouldn't be, but I may have one stuffed away somewhere…"

I tensed. He had one. I knew it… I could see it in his eyes.

Apparently, Yamamoto thought so, too. "Chojiro, go with Captain Kurotsuchi and retrieve the Arrancar he has there."

"Vicenta, go with him." I growled, setting Illforte down and turning so I could heft him on piggyback. "I'll be right behind you."

"That such a good idea?" Illforte mumbled next to my ear as I started walking. "This bastard's like my brother, so he'll definitely have something in the air…"

"Szayel will insist on all of us getting checkups and full panel blood tests when we get back, anyway." I muttered back, "I want to get all of you out of here, no exceptions."

"Hmm." I could tell he was smirking as he whispered weakly, "You worry about us too much…"

"If I don't, none of _you_ will. Now, sleep, okay? We'll be back home soon."

He grunted, then sighed and relaxed. It was only temporary, though, because as soon as we were in front of the twelfth division he woke again and tensed. "One of ours is definitely in there…"

I nodded, watching as Vicenta walked in with the captain and the lieutenant, standing slightly behind Chojiro. The next few moments were tense, but they passed quickly and Vicenta walked out again with a boy with blonde hair and vacant yet inquisitive purple eyes.

"Ah… It's Wonderweiss." Illforte sighed.

"Fine, fine." Mayuri was grumbling as he came back out, looking pissed. "You've gone and cleaned us out. Feel free to leave."

I glared at him, "We will."

* * *

Vicenta was grateful her father was waiting on the other side of the pseudo garganta to receive them; she turned the autistic Wonderweiss over to Amiens as soon as she walked through and ran off, wanting to get far away from Grimmjow.

They hadn't talked since the night before they left the Seireitei, and though Grimmjow had stuck around her like he had always done, in an almost protective way, it had been a source of discomfort.

She didn't want to talk to him until she had thought things over…

Back in her room, Vicenta drew a bath and peeled off her clothes, slumping down in the barely warm water and sinking down to her chin, sighing.

She knew she was being selfish; Grimmjow was way older than her, so of course he would have been in relationships before… And Grimmjow was more the type to be in physical relationships, not emotional.

Really, she was expecting to much of him.

…Still…

Vicenta had a feeling she could blame her mother for this desire to be with someone who loved her. Arrancar definitely didn't feel like this… this was a human want.

She sighed, reaching up and running a hand across the thick band of bone that was part of her mask. She didn't talk to her father or even her mother about it, but for Vicenta things got… confusing…

She had wants and needs that clashed, and she knew painfully well that the reason they clashed was because she was a… _half-breed_…

Vicenta shuddered. Her mother would be pissed if she knew that her daughter thought about herself like that every now and then.

"'_Half-breed' is a derogatory word used by pussies and pricks."_ Her mother had growled, still recovering from a tirade she had screamed at several Arrancar who had been picking on a younger Vicenta. _"Never, _ever_ let someone call you that, Vicenta. Because you're not a half-breed. You're my baby… And no one has a single fucking right to call you anything else."_

Sighing, Vicenta stood and grabbed a towel, slumping out of her bathroom and flopping down onto her bed.

Human parents shielded their children. Vicenta knew that, and she knew that that was why her mother always tried to protect her… But that didn't change the fact that Vicenta was, indeed, a half-bred Arrancar.

…Maybe that was another reason Grimmjow didn't take her seriously…

Vicenta jumped at a loud bang on her door, then sighed at the following shout of, "Centa! Vicenta, let me in!"

Grimmjow… "Go away." She called back, standing and walking over to her dresser.

Grimmjow's growl was heard even though the thick door. "Vicenta, you know I'm trying real hard to _not_ break down your door and it's pissing me off… Just let me in!"

She ignored him, hooking her bra and pulling on an undershirt.

"…Look, I don't bother actually explaining my fucking actions very often, and this is real fucking hard, alright?! So just let me in!"

"I'm not interested in excuses." Vicenta sighed calmly and flopped back down on her bed as Grimmjow roared and proceeded to punch at the door handle.

He was in seconds later and she watched blankly as her stormed over to her and pinned her to the bed, pressing her down with a heated, violent kiss.

Vicenta laid back calmly, unresponsive, and stared up at him blankly. "What, is that it? You come in and pin me with all the lust you can without actually stripping us both and penetrating?"

"It's not lust, damn it!" Grimmjow growled, blue eyes narrowing sharply and lips pulling back over his sharp teeth in a hiss of anger, "If it were just lust you'd already be mine!"

"Oh, what, then you're saying you actually care?"

"If I didn't I wouldn't fucking be here!"

"Then take me."

Grimmjow blinked, balking slightly. "What?"

Vicenta sat up, staring at him evenly, "If you care about me, then take me."

"…That doesn't make any fucking sense!"

"I don't give a fuck." Vicenta narrowed her eyes slightly, "If you care, have sex with me. Fuck me here and now."

"…" Grimmjow twitched, looking away, "I can't…"

Vicenta snorted, looking away and glaring off into nothing, "Of _course_ you can't, now that I'm asking…"

"Damn it, Centa, it's not like that!" Grimmjow snarled, looking away and sighing heavily, "I hate your mother for making this goddamned rule…"

"…What does Mom have to do with this?"

Grimmjow winced, wishing he hadn't said anything, then looked back and winced again when he saw Vicenta staring at him expectantly. "…You see, Arrancar have these things called life-mates…"

* * *

Szayel waited until we were back in our room to express his displeasure that Illforte was back amongst us.

"Fuck!! That worthless slime is still alive?! I'll _kill_ Lumina and Verona for reporting him as dead…"

I sat back, leaning against my hand heavily and sighing, "Yeah, good to see you too… Not like I missed you, or anything."

"And he is _still_ as presumptuous and annoying as always! The nerve of him, asking about my sex life!"

"Not like I'd totally let you dominate right now, or anything. In fact, I'm not in the mood for sex at all."

"And that Wonderweiss… Damn it, I don't want to have to _deal_ with his problems right now! Or have to worry about finding a babysitter for him!"

"And that whole trip to the Seireitei? Not scarring at all. I _so_ don't want to talk about how that bastard Kohaku was there… No, I want to sit here and listen to you rant about _your_ problems."

"And all of those bodies I have to send through a complete detox to search for anything that _Kurotsuchi_ left behind! Hey may even have put something in their bloodstreams! And they're _out there_, just _crawling_ through the air and gathering data!"

"I mean, it's not like I'm torn between going off to commit suicide or having hot, wild sex with Stark at _all_… Because you are _so_ attending to my needs right now. Nope. I'm perfectly fine."

"FUCK THIS!!"

"FUCK YOU!!"

Szayel turned on me, livid and twitching, "Just _what_ are you going on about?!"

"Kohaku was in the Seireitei, damn it!"

_That_ got his attention real quick. Szayel blinked slowly, "…I beg your pardon?"

I sighed heavily, slumping back onto the bed and closing my eyes, "Kohaku… he was in the Seireitei… I almost killed him…"

"What was he doing there?" Szayel asked evenly, calming, walking over and sitting beside me.

Sighing heavily once again, I told him everything from beginning to end, and by the time I was done I had my head in his lap and I was staring up at him as he stared off into space, thinking.

"I see…" Szayel glanced down at me, then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Aporro… I should have gone in place of Stark."

"Nah, Stark did just fine." I shifted slightly, nuzzling his stomach, "Besides, you may have let me kill him, and then where would we be?"

Szayel chuckled, smirking darkly, "True…"

At that moment, the door burst open and Vicenta stormed in, livid, "How _dare_ you make that kind of decision for me!"

I blinked when I realized her anger was directed at me, sitting up slowly, "What are you talking about?"

Vicenta narrowed her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me you and Dad were… Oh, what are they called…" She feigned innocence, then grinned and immediately glared, "Oh, yeah, _life-mates_?!"

I twitched, throwing a glare at Grimmjow as he walked in behind Vicenta, his eyes directed somewhere else. "You're too young for that sort of thi—"

"According to you!"

I twitched again, then sighed. Vicenta wasn't _actually_ angry with me, even if she thought she was; she was just going through the rebellious stage that every teenager does, and since I was the one who had put restrictions on her social life without her knowing, of course she would be angry with me once she found out…

"Vicenta, that rule was one reached between Grimmjow and I. It's no—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Vicenta screeched, suddenly irrationally angry to the point of tears. She held them back, though, and glared at me, the corners of her eyes glistening, "I hate you! I hate you and this damned human heart you gave me!" She then turned and ran out, Grimmjow following with a heavy sigh.

I stared after her, feeling oddly heavy yet hollow at the same time…

"…Aporro, was that—"

"Typical teenage human behavior? Yes." I sighed, "It's also the reason I don't believe that she really hates me." I glanced at him, "…Szayel, tell me you love me."

Szayel blinked, "…Pardon?"

"Tell me you love me, even if you don't mean it."

He blinked again. "…I love you."

I sighed and the absent sincerity, looking away. Yes, I had said 'even if you don't mean it', but I'd been hoping for even just a flicker of honesty… I mean, we were life-mates, right? That had to amount to _something_ other than just sexual monogamy and reproduction…

"…" Szayel sighed, "Truthfully, Aporro, you are one of the most amazing sentient experiments I have ever had, and like I do all of my successful experiments, I love you."

…I was torn between feeling pissed and lightheaded, so I was both. I glanced at him, frowning yet swaying slightly, "What?"

"Your progress is truly astounding." Szayel said, meeting my eyes fully, "Not only were you able to fully accept the Doppelganger Pill, you adapted to it completely and made it your own. You have exceeded my expectations in almost every way…" He smirked here, "And were it not for the fact that you were human and you turned out so feminine, I would call you a complete success."

I twitched.

"…And yet, oddly enough, I can accept you for your flaws." His smirk widened slightly at my confusion. "…The truth is, Aporro, I stopped collecting data on the Doppelganger experiment years ago."

My confusion only got worse and my eyes widened, "…What?"

"…I stopped collecting data." Szayel repeated after a moment, carefully. His smirk faded and he met my eyes evenly, "I didn't need the data. For some reason, I was simply satisfied with you as you were… Of course, now I suppose I can blame that on this whole life-mate business."

I stared at him for a moment longer, then lunged and pinned him back on the bed, staring right into his eyes. "Say it again."

He knew exactly what I was talking about. "I love you."

"Again." I commanded, searching his eyes.

"I love you." There… there it was.

"One more time…"

"I love you." Right there…

"I lied… again."

"I love you."

I kissed him.

There it was. That sincerity.


	51. LI Time Passes

Holy shite! What has come to be my most popular fic thus far has come to an end!

Now, just to warn you, you may be tempted to stop reading and send me hate mail before you get to the end... but refrain! I swear you'll like the ending!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro[in character, not name]) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Had I known that that argument with my mother would be the last time I would have ever spoken to her as she was, I would have stopped myself. I would take it all back, I swear…

Mom lived to be two hundred and fourteen.

Almost two hundred years after she came to Hueco Mundo, her mind shut her body down of its own accord and she died.

There was nothing Dad could do…

Of course, he had been gradually replacing her organs and insides as they shut down or became insufficient, and by the time she died she was more Arrancar than human, but her mind had been one thing he could never replace.

Strengthen, yes.

Made drugs to help it last, of course.

But her biological clock caught up with her, and she died.

And the whole process of her dying wasn't pretty, either; one day she simply didn't wake up, so Dad put her on all sorts of machines to keep her going. I think he really, really wanted to save her.

It took five months for her to die, and when she finally went she was almost completely worn away, all skin and bones and no substance.

To make matters worse, she looked as young as she had the day I had been born, and I think that was what tore Dad up the most. It was like watching that Superhuman Drug, except the effects were physical rather than mental.

…The day Mom died was the first time I cried.

Dad had never left her side the whole five months it took her to waste away; he was always there for those times she would wake up and reach out for him.

A few times she would wake up, calling out for me. The times I actually made it before she passed out again and tried to talk to her, she never could hear me. Over and over, though, she would apologize. Apologize and beg me to forgive her.

And over and over I would tell her that she didn't need to apologize, that I did, that I was so sorry, that I loved her and the human that she had given me. But it was never heard.

…She'd still been alive the first time Grimmjow and I had had sex, but I'd never told her about it… After I told her I hated her, we never talked again…

I'm crying again now as I tell you this, believe it or not.

I swore to myself after that day she died, that day the flat, dull cry of the EKG filled our ears as her heart stopped, that I would never cry again. But talking about it is… hard…

Dad tried over and over to resuscitate her; he was still trying when her spiritual body broke apart. And when he was left trying to perform CPR on an empty pillow with a depression where her head had been (he'd long given up on the defibrillator), he just sort of… froze.

He froze and fell silent, staring down at her pillow and scarcely breathing.

Uncle Illforte led me out, and Dad was left alone. I don't know what he did during that time, but he didn't leave that room for almost two weeks.

Then, when he finally emerged again, he was back to his old self. A bit paler than usual, and gaunt from not having eaten for so long, but he was still the Szayel everyone knew.

His laugh changed, though; it was empty now, cold, none of that unidentifiable emotion that had always been present when it had been Mom making him laugh there in even the most minute trace.

Grimmjow said that that was what happened when a life-mate died; the other just sort of shut down.

Mom never lived to see the treaty between the Arrancar at the Seireitei go through; it happened, slowly and unsteadily, but she wasn't there when the final papers were signed; that happened two months after she died.

After the peace came, the shinigami all left Hueco Mundo. Still, save the few Fraccion Dad sent to retrieve his data from his old computers, no one went back to Las Noches. Mom had been right; it was just an empty shell full of bad memories, now.

Not that where we all were now was much better now that Mom had died…

Then, three and a half moths after she died, we had a visitor…

* * *

"Oh, don't tell me you're actually _pining_ the loss of your human, Grantz." Mayuri rolled his eyes, scoffing, "How… unexpectedly delicate of you." He smirked at his own quote.

Szayel stiffened and snarled, turning on the captain with narrowed eyes, "What are you doing here, _Kurotsuchi_?!"

"The treaty allows me to come and go as I please, remember?" Mayuri grinned, walking around the lab and performing a quick but thorough scan, "Of course, I am not allowed to collect any data, but that does not mean I can't _visit_, now does it?"

"If you cannot collect data, then you have no reason to be here." Szayel hissed, "Leave."

"Hmph, very well, then." Mayuri sighed, turning to walk out. But not before he took a manila envelope out of his haori and held it up, waving it, "I suppose that means I'll just have to take this data with me…"

"Master Mayuri." Nemu began flatly, blinking, "You are under orders from the Captain-Comma—"

"I know, you stupid girl!" Mayuri snapped, a loud smack resounding as he struck his lieutenant across the face.

Szayel ignored all of this and stared at the envelope with interest, "What is it?"

Mayuri turned back to him, blinking. He then grinned and flicked his wrist, the folder jerking through the air, "Oh, this? Nothing special… Just some information on a recently spawned Hollow some down at intelligence thought you might be interested in."

Szayel quickly grabbed the envelope and opened it, scanning the pages as Mayuri narrated.

"It started off as a simple Menos but quickly developed into an Adjuchas." The captain said boredly, examining his fingernails as he did. "It has left Hueco Mundo and entered the human world several times, but never has it struck out against any humans, and its times in the human world are brief. It gates back into Hueco Mundo almost immediately after leaving, though it always reappears in different locations. Systematically, it has been working across the desert, and it will soon arrive here…" The captain looked up, "It passed over Las Noches without a second thought. Your little home here is its presumed target. But do you know what I love the _most_ out of this report?"

Szayel didn't answer, eyes scanning the pages more rapidly than before. He knew these readings…

"This." Mayuri said suddenly in his ear, snickering when Szayel tensed as the captain's arm reached around his shoulders and pointed down at the page at one reading in particular, "Isn't this reiatsu signature here rather… _familiar_?"

Szayel was gone without another word.

* * *

Stiff… stiff… stiff… thick…

Thick and dry…

I was stiff, wrapped in something thick and dry. Mummified… I couldn't move a muscle… And I was pissed. I wanted to kill that son of a bitch who had put me here… My mask was pressed down uncomfortably against my face, smashing my nose and making it hard to breathe.

That son of a bitch…

"Do you really think this will work?" Someone muttered from outside my confinement.

I growled, struggling.

"For that matter, do you really think this is even her?"

"It is her… I know it. I would recognize her reiatsu anywhere, no matter how muddled." That's him! That's the son of a bitch who put me here… "This is going to hurt." He was addressing me now, standing somewhere nearby. "I'm sorry…"

Then the pain started. I felt my mask as it cracked, my body as it folded in on itself, my reiatsu as it was pounded at and honed.

"UUWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"

Pain…

Pain.

PAIN!!

SON OF A BITCH!!

MOTHER FUCKER!!

STOP IT, YOU ASSHOLE, STOOOOP!!

YOU'RE RIPPING OFF MY FUCKING MASK!! YOU'RE SHATTERING ME!! YOU'RE BREAKING EVERY GODDAMNED BONE IN MY BODY, YOU SICK FUCK!! STOP IT!!

"SZAYEL, STOP IT!!"

Then, as soon as the pain came, it was over.

I slumped forward, now free of those stiff, thick, dry, hot bonds, and slumped to the ground painfully, choking on a whine.

Son of a bitch…

"…Can you hear me…?"

…This pissed me off, but something else caught my attention…

I knew that voice…

"Ugh…" I pushed myself onto my hands and knees, looking up into those amber eyes I knew so well.

Szayel stared back at me evenly, "What is your name?"

"…What, you don't remember?"

His eyes widened in shock; clearly, he hadn't expected me to remember my past life. Frankly, neither had I; it was my understanding that memories were erased when you died. Not like I was about to question it, though…

"…Aporro?"

I grinned, purposely ignoring the fact that I was naked and in pain as I threw myself forward and knocked him flat on his back, straddling his waist and pinning his arms above his head, "Took you long enough to find me, idiot." I silenced anything else he might have said with a deep, long kiss.

Fuck, I'd missed this bastard so much…

* * *

"Alright, then, everyone, let's get the basics down, alright?!" I shouted, looking out over the crowd of Arrancar dressed in their best, most looking rather put-off about it. "It's been a year since the treaty was signed and no breaches have been made on either side. Some _Einstein_ on the Seireitei side decided that this was cause for celebration, so we're all havin' a party. I want you on your _best behavior_, got it?! Anyone who does anything stupid gets their ass kicked by me, personally!"

No one was about to oppose. Apparently everyone thought I was scarier as an Arrancar than I had been as a human… And I didn't blame them. My Resurreccion kicked ass.

"And because they're so fuckin' jealous of the sweet setup we have here…" I paused to grin at this, and a ripple of chuckles and laughs spread through the crowd, "The party is gonna be here, in the grand hall. That means you all have to be good hosts on top of being on your best behavior! Again, anyone who fucks up gets an ass-full of Barracuda Bicuda!"

I'm a fuckin' barracuda, man!! That fucking rocks! I _told_ you my Resurreccion kicks ass! I knew Vicenta had to get her sea fish-based zanpakuto from _somewhere_…

"…What the fuck are you waiting for?!" I snarled when no one moved, "GET TO WORK CLEANING THIS SHIT HOLE UP!!" I grinned as everyone dispersed.

"Glad to see you're still as lively as ever…"

I turned to Szayel and smirked, slinking towards him, "What, you mean after almost a year of me coming back you _still_ have your doubts about my health?"

Szayel stared at me blankly, sighing, "You were in bad shape when you died, Aporro…"

I flinched. Szayel was still pretty torn up about me dying… I don't remember much about it, but he did. And he was still extra cautious… So far I'd only been allowed to release my Resurreccion once.

"C'mon, Szay, I'm fine." I sighed. "You're the one who doctored me, remember? There's no _way_ anything is still wrong with me…"

"I suppose…" He sighed.

I stared at him, then changed the subject, stretching, "I gotta say, though, I'm glad that the Doppelganger changes stuck through even after I was reborn. Being in a body like my old one would have felt… odd."

Szayel smirked, "_Seeing_ you in a different body would have been odd."

"Hmm…" I grinned, wrapping my arms around his waist and biting his neck, "Narcissistic bastard."

He chuckled sinisterly, "Well, you do bring out the best in me…"

"EWWWW!! THEY'RE AT IT _AGAIN_!!"

"Ugh, it's so fuckin' wrong… Grantz, I know your woman died on you, but it's been a year since she came back, man. Quit trying to bone her in the halls!"

I twitched, turning towards the group and grinning darkly, "Lilinette, Grimmjow, shut up."

Grimmjow scoffed, smirking and tightening his grip on Vicetna's waist, "And here you are screeching at all of _us_ about behaving…"

"Can we help you with something?" Szayel hissed, twitching slightly.

Stark shrugged, scratching his jaw, "Aporro was the one who called us… Said she had some big announcement."

"Everything okay, Mom?" Vicenta asked, looking worried.

I smiled at her, nodding. We'd long since made up for that last little argument, even though there were still times when she hit a low point and was inconsolable… "Yeah, it's all good. Just had something I wanted to tell your father and I wanted you all here to see…"

Halibel twitched slightly, "If it's about how 'much more ass your Resurreccion kicks compared to Szayel's', we don't want to hear it."

"No." I twitched, "Not that…"

Illforte rolled his eyes, "If it's about how you let him dominate again the other night and how good he was, we don't want to hear that, either."

I twitched again, narrowing my eyes at the group, "Can I not fucking talk?!" When they all fell silent, I turned back to Szayel and smiled, "Szay…"

He waited, twitching slightly. He really hated it when I took dramatic pauses…

"…" I took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant!"

Szayel's eyes widened and he paled.

I smiled at him.

.

.

.

"…Just kidding, you dumbass."

~The End~


End file.
